


Apologies Aren’t Stitches

by Romwaeta



Category: The Owl House
Genre: Amity Angst, Angst, F/F, Kidnapped Luz & Amity, Lots of Angst, Luz Noceda Angst, Oops, Some torture elements, danger haha, give amity therapy pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25756891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Romwaeta/pseuds/Romwaeta
Summary: He wants to take down the Emperor’s Coven. The best way to do that is to tear it apart- the key was the leader’s protegéORAmity and Luz are taken by a dangerously unstable individual. Alone and scared- how will they escape?
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 94
Kudos: 491





	1. apologies

**Author's Note:**

> Woo!! Thanks for all the hype, I’ve been super excited to present this to you guys since it’s been announced! Real quick, follow us on Instagram! (@kingpincorvid - illustrations, @pineapple_briize - writing)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy the story!

Luz rushed out of the amphitheater, feet pattering against the sleek floors as the latina twisted around the final corner- emerging into the main room in the Covention center. She paused her run in time to avoid crashing into a stranger strolling through the stands. Luz took a few steps forwards, eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. Brown eyes fell over a pale witch curled in on herself, arms tucked over her knees which were pressed against her chest.

“Amity-” Luz spoke aloud, stepping towards the young witch. Her words elicited a low glare, amber eyes dim in the shadows of the hallway. “I’m sorry,” 

“Seriously? Just leave me alone,” Amity scoffed, ducking her head into her arms, turning her back to the tanned teenager. Luz felt something in her chest tighten. This wasn’t the Amity she had seen before- the figure made out to be the bully, the girl with confidence. The witch in front of her was insecure- sadness and fear tinted in her voice- and she was _real_. She was more than she seemed, and Luz decided that she would do whatever it takes to make it up to her.

“I didn’t _mean_ to embarrass you,” Luz reached out a hand- pulling it back when Amity picked her head up to shoot another glare at the human girl. 

“That’s all you ever do!” Amity’s voice cracked, her small palm reaching to clench at her hair as she scrunched her eyes tightly shut. “First school and now _this_ ,” the witch’s hand fell to the floor in defeat, clenching into a fist tightly. 

“Yeah, but-“ Luz pushed her gaze towards the ground, mind working to figure out a way to make things right. Amity wasn’t having it, though. The girl jumped to her feet, face inches from the latina’s own.

“You made me look like a fool in front of the Emperor’s Coven- my _future_ ,” Amity thrust a hand toward Luz, the girl resisting the urge to step back. “You think it’s _so easy_ to be a witch. I have been working my whole _life_ to get to the top,”

Luz’s breath hitched. She had really messed this up, hadn’t she? The tanned girl had never intended for any of this- never even thinking about the effects her actions could have on others. But… did she really think that being a witch was easy? Luz now understood that magic was more than fantasy and runic languages, but there was no comparing her light spell to Amity’s talent. The worst part of it all was the witch’s face. Her eyes were wide and confused- mixed with fear and shame.

“You lost. You cheated. Say it- _say_ you’re not a witch!” Amity jabbed a finger at Luz, pressing her until she was forced to step backwards. Luz bit back a small quip of intimidation, instead allowing her dismay to take control.

“I’m not a witch,” Luz mumbled. Amity’s expression shifted- her previous mix of emotions now dripping into shock. The latina dropped to her knees, pulling out her notepad and beginning to draw the glyph- familiar, flowing from her memory like a river. The pale girl dropped to the ground, arms limp. Luz tapped the spell gently, holding the small orb of light gingerly in her hands. “But I’m training hard to be one,”

Amity almost looked astonished- the small flicker diminishing when she shifted her position, turning her body away from Luz. The teenager’s jaw cracked open, searching for words to convey her apologies.

“That’s nothing. A child could do a light spell,” Amity muttered, amber eyes falling to her lap. Luz sighed, clapping a hand over the glowing orb to dim the lighting. Amity’s head turned to the side, catching Luz’s attention. “But I’ve never seen it cast like that,”

Luz dropped her hand to the ground, the smallest of grins slipping onto her face.

“It doesn’t come naturally to me like it does for you,” the realization struck Luz the second the words exited her mouth. She would never be like the other witches- never capable of drawing her own spell circles- she’d never be a fair match in any fight she may get into. The latina’s head turned away, eyes dejectedly picking apart the ground before turning back to Amity, hand holding the notepad up high. “So… I’ve had to improvise,”

Amity sighed, drawing a pale purple spell circle into the air. The pale witch reached for Luz’s wrist, pulling it through the circle. The young latina could feel the smallest warmth spread throughout her palm, dissipating as the circle faded to nothing.

“The oath is unbound,” Amity mumbled, dropping Luz’s hand to the ground. The tanned girl pondered for a second, searching for something to say. But when she noticed a cloaked figure in the distance, tracing a spell circle into the air in Amity’s direction, she knew what she needed to do. Amity was a strong witch, the protegé of the Emperor’s Coven leader. Luz held no candle to that power- only being capable of doing a mere light spell.

“Amity, watch out!” Luz yelled, charging towards the pale girl. Her eyes widened in confusion, lips pursing to ask what the human had meant, only to be knocked into the wall. 

The circle hit Luz square in the chest knocking her to the ground harshly. She squirmed, vaguely aware of Amity’s cry of alarm. But whatever she had been hit with was too strong- and she found herself slipping into the abyss of sleep.  
_____________________________________

“Amity, watch out!” were words that the young witch did not anticipate in response to her passive aggressive comments. Amity gasped as the human’s body slammed into her own, causing the pale girl to stumble into the wall.

A bright yellow spell circle knocked the tanned human in the chest, sending the girl to the ground, unmoving. Amity cried out in alarm, head swiveling towards the source of the attack. A figure, cloaked in black, gingerly stepped across the floor- as if they hadn’t just hit someone with… her amber eyes turned back towards the human, acknowledgment the silent rising and falling of her chest. Just a sleep spell, she’d be fine.  
  
Amity’s eyes narrowed, following the stranger as they grew closer. The Blight’s feet twisted into a fighting stance, arms held in front of her while she drew a magenta spell circle into the air. She held her position, prepared to call forth whatever she needed once her opponent initiated another attack.

“Amity Blight, was it? I was hoping we could do this without attracting a scene, but the element of surprise seems to be out of the question,” the stranger- who Amity now figured as male given the gruff tone in his voice, as well as the broad shoulders she could now make out- spoke casually. He twirled his finger sending a ray of yellow towards the young witch. Amity stepped to the side, completing her own circle.

“Abomination, rise,” she commanded, watching as a looming figure made of purple liquid rose from the floors, head lolling to the side as it let out a low moan. “Abomination, _attack_ ,”

The creature charged forward, Amity taking a step back. It growled menacingly, large hands reaching for the cloaked figure. He ducked out of the way, pressing a glowing palm against the Abomination’s ankle. Amity gasped as it began to melt into the ground, tracing another circle into the air in an attempt to fix it.

When the purple liquid only bubbled in response, the Blight’s eyes widened as she narrowly avoided a jolt of energy jabbing in her direction.

_Okay, Amity- think_ she instructed herself, eyes searching around her surroundings for anything that could give her the upper hand in the fight. _I could try and create a distraction? Change my location, perhaps it will confuse him_.

Her Abomination tumbled into the ground, nothing more than a pile of muck. Amity bit her lip as the figure stepped over the puddle, head tilted as he approached her. Unsure of where to go, what to do- Amity put on her best poker face.

“What do you want,” the pale witch spat, crossing her arms over her chest. The figure in front of her sighed, hands falling to their side as they took another step closer to her- causing the Blight to move backwards, pressing herself further into the small hallway. 

“What I want is simple, I am a man of humble wishes. I want to unite all of the Covens, and lead them to greater potential. All that magic is wasted, think of what you could do with the secrets of them _all_ ,” he responded. Amity frowned, eyes darting back and forth. _Nothing about this feels right. This is off- he was sending a sleep spell towards me, that couldn’t lead anywhere good._

Amity began to trace another circle into the air, mustering as much power as she could into the spell. The man grabbed her wrist, cutting her off from completing the circle. _What am I supposed to do now? Wait-_ Amity slammed her foot into his shin, twisting away as he took a moment to collect his form. 

She casted a spell circle into the air, thrusting it towards him. Magenta energy wrapped around his shoulders, snapping his arms to his sides. Amity stepped out of the hallway, in search of anybody- only to no avail. _They must all still be in the amphitheater_.

Her gaze turned back to the hallway, heart dropping to the ground. Yellow fog rolled over where he had been moments prior- countless alarm bells ringing in the back of Amity’s mind. Where did he go? What caused the fog? Would it be lethal or dangerous? 

Holding the edge of her cowl over her nose, Amity sucked in a deep breath and charged into the fog. _This man was dangerous. She needed to stop him before he harmed anyone_. Swatting away the yellow, the fog began to clear.

“What you want is _dangerous_. Every Coven has a different leader for a reason- changing that would lead to chaos,” Amity barked, turning on her heel as she heard something move close to the end of the hallway. Tracing another circle in the air, she sprinted forwards.

“Take one more step, and your friend dies,” she heard his voice again- only it had a hint of amusement behind his words. Amity’s hand dropped as the fog dissipated. The human, head rolled over her shoulder, was being held up by her shoulder, blade pressed into her throat. “This is coated with the blood of a hydra. It would be a shame for it to slice into her skin,”

“She isn’t my friend,” Amity spoke without thinking. The human girl had literally thrown herself in the way- giving Amity the chance to fight back against the threat. How was she supposed to ignore the life that was in her hands? The pale girl caught the way the man softly chuckled, sending her stomach into a frenzy. “But… don’t hurt her,”

“Now that I have your attention, I believe you may want to come with me. Any move you try to make, the girl will pay for- understood?” Amity swallowed, eyes searching for anybody that could step in, scare him off- anything. But whatever was going on in the other room was clearly captivating an audience. The human… Luz, was it? She’d only get hurt… if Amity went with him- she could figure out a way to get back, right? 

“Lower your knife, and I’ll go with you willingly,” Amity spat. Fists clenching at her sides, her face was stern as she watched him closely. He slid the knife beneath his robes, slinging the human over his shoulder. Amity’s breath hitched. “Let her go,” 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Miss Blight. If I let her go, you could run away, or cause a scene. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” Now, follow along, or you know what will happen. Amity hesitated- the man shaking his head lowly, drawing a circle into the air and pushing it towards Amity.

Her knees gave out from beneath her, and she found her eyes sliding into oblivion.  
_____________________________________

“Amity? Amity-“ the pale witch blinked her eyes open, groaning softly. The human girl was hunched over her, arms on her shoulders as her eyes were wide with… fear?

“Get _off_ of me,” Amity spat, scurrying backwards and nudging the girl off of her chest. The teenager fell onto her side, proceeding to dust off her tanned arms. “I just- _ugh_ \- you’re such an idiot! Why did you do that?”

“I- can you at least tell me _why_ we’re who knows where in a dark and ominous room?” the human retorted harshly. Amity’s face fell- the girl didn’t know what was going on at all and now they were stuck in the hands of that… _guy_. The pale girl shifted, eyes darting towards a distant corner of the room.

“After you got hit, I tried fighting back. Everything was going _fine_ until he grabbed you. Why would you jump in the way? It was clearly meant for me. _Human_! You could have gotten yourself killed- you don’t think! You’re impulsive!” Amity yelled, glaring furiously at the girl. In return, the brunette’s eyes dropped to the floor. And the Blight could practically feel her shame from across the room.

“I’m sorry, Amity. Here in the Boiling Isles- I’m nothing. You’re a witch- you’re important- you have a future as the protogé of the Emperor’s Coven leader. I… I don’t even belong here. I don’t fit in at home, I’m still an outcast here. I thought that if I put myself there, you’d still be able to do great things. If I died or not- I just wasn’t thinking, okay?” the human pouted. Amity bit her lip- _that wasn’t what she had anticipated to hear._ Amity would have expected a joke to play it off- but something so… deprecating seemed out of the girl’s nature. “And… my name is Luz,”

Amity didn’t know what to say. So she didn’t. The pale witch turned her back to the human girl- the smallest thump broke the silence as a hand fell to the floor. 

“Again- I’m sorry for everything. I never meant to embarrass you, or ruin your future. I just… wanted to prove myself, if that makes sense?” Luz continued, her voice growing closer. “Do… you have any ideas on how we can get out of here?”

“Do you ever _shut up_? All you ever do is talk, and it’s so _frustrating_. We’re stuck here. Whoever captured us can melt abominations and counteract my attacks. Even if we somehow escape, I’m willing to bet he’ll find us again,” Amity’s hands twisted into her hair, searching for something to pull on or fidget with. “If you had just _pulled_ me out of the way, we wouldn’t be in this mess! We’re stuck here until someone saves us, all because _you_ had to play hero!”

“It’s _my_ fault? I tried to help! I already apologized! What more do you need me to _do_? I- I’m trying my best here, Amity,” the young witch didn’t fail to notice the way that Luz’s voice declined, falling to a whisper by the time she uttered her last word.

Perhaps Amity was overreacting- trying to pin a situation on someone else to push away the fear creeping into her mind. Maybe it was unfair of her to blame the human, but… the girl was just so _infuriating_.

“Someone will notice that I’m gone, and they’ll come looking for me. In the meantime, try not to get on my nerves,” Amity bit, leaning against the wall and resting her head into her knees.

“What’s home like for you?” The human’s voice sliced the silence. Amity’s fist clenched as she took in a sharp breath, ignoring the question. “Back in the Human Realm, I have a mom. She’s a doctor- a real hero. When I was little I wanted to save lives like her. I’m sorry for playing hero. You’re right- I don’t think things through, and I act without thinking. I’m impulsive. I believe in others too much. I… I just want to be your friend,”

“What? I don’t get you. First you come into my life- throwing it into chaos. You made me lose my position as top student! I got in _trouble_ because of you. Then- and then you think that you can march into a Covention and challenge me to a duel, only to cheat,” Amity hissed under her breath. “I’m a Blight. I only associate with a select few. You’re not one of them,” 

“I… I’m sorry,” Luz whispered. Amity lifted her head, watching as the other girl slid down the wall. Chin resting on her knees, her eyes slid down. The room grew silent, a small ringing in Amity’s ear being the only reminder that she hadn’t gone deaf. 

The pale witch turned away from Luz, her confident facade falling away. Amity was scared- terrified to admit it, too. Never had she seen someone capable of destroying an Abomination, disrupting its form until it couldn’t be repaired with magic. 

How would she escape? And… what did he even want with _her_. She wasn’t even in the coven yet. And on top of that, the human- Luz- was here, too. Gazing slowly at the tanned girl, Amity noticed the way that her hands played with each other fingers entwining before the hand would shift again. The young witch sighed softly, adjusting her cowl. 

“It’s okay to be scared, you know,” the human girl cut through the silence. Amity’s head snapped in her direction, face flushing with anger. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Amity growled under her breath, standing up and making her way towards Luz. 

“I am _not_ scared,” she spat. There was a creak, and the soft click of a lock. The two girls turned towards the noise, Amity instinctively getting into an appropriate offensive stance. Out of the corner of her eye, she could make out the human scooching backwards.

The doorknob turned, the dark wood gingerly opening into the room that they were in. Amity drew a circle into the air, preparing to strike. There was a knock against the ground- footsteps as the cloaked figure from their previous encounter entered the room. Amity pushed the circle forward, yelping as it was promptly deflected and sent charging into the wall just inches from the human- who in response screamed and scurried to the other end of the room. 

“Good to know that you two are both awake,” he shrugged, kicking the door shut behind him. With a swift motion, the lock clicked. Amity swallowed, breathing heavy as she searched for any other way to escape. She bit her lip, returning to a casual stance. “It’d be difficult to get information out of a sleeping person. But then again, I could always use Memory Tweezers… but that takes the fun away, no?” 

“You fiend! You can’t just kidnap two kids and expect us to tell you stuff!” Luz hollered, finger pointing accusingly at the man. His gaze drifted towards her, his feet already making their way closer to the human girl. Amity’s blood went cold- did she go after them?

“I expect nothing of _you_ ,” he hissed, grasping the collar of Luz’s shirt and pressing her against the wall. Amity’s hand reached out- but her feet stayed put, frozen fear. “You are only here to keep your _friend_ in check, do you understand? You are of no worth to me. Do not push your luck,” 

“I told you! We are _not_ friends! She’s loud, obnoxious, ruins everything you work for, and never listens!” Amity spewed, stopping herself when she saw the look on the human girl’s face. Eyes wide, mouth trembling, breathing irregular. How could Amity be so stupid? Their captor had just told them that Luz held no importance in the situation. “Wait! I didn’t-“ 

“Don’t fret yet, you haven’t given me a chance to fix your problems. You would be surprised with just how much I can change,” he snarled. Luz’s eyes darted back and forth, hands pulling at the man’s grip. 

“Amity! I apologized! I said that I was sorry!” Luz’s voice was high pitched and panicked. Amity sucked in a breath, stepping closer to the other people in the room.  
  
“Just who exactly _are_ you,” Amity pressed a glowing circle against his back. The pale witch watched as the human was dropped to the ground, the cloaked figure drawing his own circle into the air, snapping his fingers and sending Amity flying into the wall. 

“I used to be well known in the Isles- top student of St. Epiderm. But even with all of my power, I was ignored- conspired against, and cast aside. They didn’t listen, but they _will_ ,” he growled. “Seven years. I have spent seven years plotting my way back to the top, and I finally have my way. You are the key to everything I need to know, and you will give it to me. I am even going to be so gracious as to accommodate your stay,”

_Seven years ago._

“You’re Varias. You- _you_ were the one conspiring against the other covens! You were planning to kill the other leaders!” Amity shared a glance with the human pressing herself against the wall. “You’re not gracious. You’re a monster,”

“Well, then. I was _going_ to spare you the details, but I suppose that at some point you will need to face the damage you cause,” Varias hummed. Amity steeled herself against the wall as the former Potions Coven leader stepped into the center of the room. “Miss Blight, your actions have consequences. I’ll still be fixing the girl for you, but I won’t be sparing _any_ of it,” He turned on his heel, waving the door open and slamming it behind him. 

“Amity. What is he talking about- what’s going to happen,” Luz’s voice was low. Amity stumbled towards the girl, heart in her throat. “Tell me- please- _what_ is he going to do,”

“He… I- I don’t know. But it isn’t going to be good, okay? So when he comes back just… stay quiet,” Amity instructed. The situation was bad enough, of all people the last person the young witch would have anticipated to kidnap her was Varias Kavir. For the first time since they had woken up, Amity realized how utterly screwed they were if someone didn’t come for them. The human girl hugged herself tightly, fingers tugging the hood of her shirt over her head. “He- Varias- he used to be the head of the Potions Coven. He wanted to take over the system, merge all the relics to create a superweapon. He was planning to kill all of the other main coven leaders to get the relics,”

“So… he’s going to kill us,” the human girl mumbled in response, a tear sliding down her cheek. Amity hesitated- she didn’t know. He showed no signs of caring if Luz was alive or not, only seemingly keeping her around to prevent Amity from doing anything reckless. 

“I- Luz…” the young witch whispered, resting a hand on top of the human’s knee. Luz swatted the hand away, turning her back to the pale girl.

“You already said everything you needed to say, Amity. I’m loud and obnoxious. He’s going to do something to me and I’m going to die here, and my mom is never going to even know,” Luz hissed. Amity had never actually thought too much about how Luz had ended up in the Boiling Isles- she only really thought about what she had done since arriving. Did Luz’s family really... not know where she was? Before Amity could come up with a response, the door swung open. Varias- burlap sack slung over his shoulder- stepping into the room. 

“Now, Miss Blight, you mentioned that she was loud, no? And you also said that she ruins everything? It sounds to me that the solution to your problems are very simple,” he quipped, crouching next to the two girls. He pulled the bag open, making a show of picking out a few vials of potions. The first of which- being small, no bigger than Amity’s pinkie finger- but housing a brilliant yellow liquid. “This should take care of the noise,”

Amity wasn’t given enough time to register what he was doing. His fingers uncorked the vial, Varias’ other hand latching around the human girl’s ankle. He pulled, the girl’s back sliding from the wall and onto the stone floor. Varias spun his finger, a yellow spell circle pressing Amity against the wall. The pale witch couldn’t move against the spell’s hold, no matter how much she fought against it. 

Varias’ hands grabbed at Luz’s hood, working on pinning her head to the ground. Sweat rolled down Amity’s face, desperate for some way to push the man away from them. _What have I done- this… this isn’t what I wanted!_ The former coven leader pried open the human’s jaw, the vial’s contents trickling into her throat.

“Stop! I didn’t mean it!” Amity screamed. Varias let out a low chuckle, casting the empty vial across the room. The small object clattered, rolling into a distant corner. The potionist pressed his hand over Luz’s airways, the human girl’s hands clawing at the obstruction, legs kicking wildly in all directions before forcibly swallowing down in her body’s attempt to gather air. He let go, Luz’s brown eyes dulling and glossing over. “Human? I- _Luz_! I’m sorry! What are you _doing_ to her? Just stop!”  
  
“I am fixing the issues you addressed, like you wanted,” Varias grinned. The human was still, the rising and falling of her chest and subtle twitching of her limbs being the only sign that she was even still alive. Why… why was she so still? Amity pushed against the barrier holding her back, still finding no way past it. The former coven leader picked up a second bottle, this one being larger than the previous and containing a clear liquid. “This should be the final thing,”

He uncorked the beaker, tilting the human’s head backwards. Amity’s heart thundered against her ribcage. This was bad- really bad- they needed help, an escape. She wasn’t powerful enough to do this on her own. The liquid slid into her mouth- the way Luz didn’t even try fighting back causing another sensation of dread to pool in the depths of Amity’s abdomen. 

The beaker was empty now. Amity wasn’t even certain as to what they had contained, but if the state Luz was in was any way to judge by, it would be doing more harm than good. The pale witch cried out as the barrier dissipated, falling to her knees. Her fists clenched, chest slamming wildly. Bright amber eyes stared at the limp figure on the ground, desperate for the human to get up.

“See? Is this not much better?” Varias flashed a smile, standing up and taking a step back from the tanned girl. Amity’s gaze flashed between the two people. If she tried to attack Varias, she’d lose and possibly cause him to hurt the human again. If she held out until help arrived… maybe everything would turn out okay. “Do not give me that look, I was doing you a favor. Now, I will give you some time to adjust before the morning arrives. I hope that you will know to cooperate, things will only get worse from here, Miss Blight,” 

He slung the burlap sack over his shoulder, stepping out of the room. Amity’s ear twitched as the lock clicked, the sudden weight of the situation crashing onto her shoulders. 

“Luz? Are you okay? I- can you hear me?” Amity pressed her fingers against the human’s wrist. The girl’s body still trembled- leading the pale witch to wonder just what exactly had been put into her system. There was no response- the girl’s eyes had slid shut, she didn’t mumble or groan, just… nothing. 

Amity tucked her hands beneath Luz’s shoulders, lifting the girl up and propping her against the wall. The human’s eyes fluttered, yet they still dropped after a few seconds. Was something preventing her from waking up? 

“I messed up. You’re right, I was scared. And… now you’re hurt because of me and I can’t do anything to get us out of here. It wasn’t fair of me to pin this on you- you tried, and you gave me a chance. It was me who failed, not you,” the young witch rambled, leaning next to the human girl’s limp form. “I… I’m sorry, Luz,”

Amity didn’t know what she was expecting. The room remained silent- the only noise being the labored breathing coming from the girl next to her. She brushed a few strands of mint green hair out of her eyes, gently resting the tanned human on her lap. The least she could do was provide a comfortable place to rest.

The pale witch ran her fingers through the human’s soft hair, short brown locks smooth against Amity’s hands. She looked closer, chest crashing at the sight of tears rolling down Luz’s cheeks. She offered a reassuring squeeze to the human girl’s shoulder. 

Amity’s eyes stared at the door, tracing back to the empty vial that had rolled into the corner of the unfamiliar room. The Blight looked between the object and the girl resting in her lap- what was that spell they had learned in school? To identify the ingredients used to create something. The spell was originally created for Abominations, but was it possible to use it for potions as well?

Padding the purple hood beneath Luz’s head, Amity stood. Adjusting the limp body on the ground. She stepped to the corner and picked up the glass vial. The young witch wasn’t certain as to how it didn’t shatter, perhaps it was protected by a strength charm? 

The vial was detailed, intricately blown. Facets all around, the smallest of curves and details adorning the glass. Amity grunted, tracing a pale circle beneath the vial and focusing on the familiar spell. The circle wrapped around the empty container, morphing around it before Amity dropped it.

The two most abundant ingredients were the blood of a cockatrice and the venom of a manticore. It was no sleep or comatose potion.

It was a paralysis potion. And that begged the question as to what exactly was in the other beaker. 

Rushing back towards the limp girl on the ground, Amity held a hand beneath Luz’s nose- her breathing wasn’t deep, it was rapid and irregular. Which meant…

“Luz? Can you hear me?” Amity bit her lip, in search of anything- the smallest sign, the faintest twitch- something that would show the young witch that the tanned body splayed out on the stone ground was able to hear her. Sweat rolled down the Blight’s forehead, chest thumping when the softest of moans cut through the silence of the room. “I- I’m sorry. I’ll get us out of here, somehow- I promise,”


	2. luz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varias returns, and Amity hesitates.
> 
> Lilith, Eda, Edric, and Emira have a revelation

Amity had caved. After endless minutes of silence, the young witch had tugged the limp body close to her chest, determined to protect the human girl from any further harm. She had failed Luz once. She couldn’t bear it- seeing… seeing her being hurt at Amity’s own chagrin. 

The pale girl didn’t know when she had lost her battle to stay awake and had fallen asleep, but her head had lolled to the side, eyes sliding shut as the dark tendrils of sleep rolled over her consciousness.

_”Amity! I apologized! I said that I was sorry!” the human girl, Luz’s, panicked voice filled her senses. Amity stood there, boots firmly placed on the stone ground. Pale hands wrapped around the human’s neck, pushing her into the ground. Her limbs flailed, the cloaked figure hunched over her as golden potion was forcibly drained down her throat._

_Luz began to choke on it. Strangled noises escaped her lips. The hood slid off of the perpetrator’s head, revealing none other than Amity herself. The girl’s breath hitched, boot sliding backwards against the paved ground. No- no… she wasn’t him. She didn’t do this to Luz she… she had caused this. Everything the human had endured was her fault- Amity fell to her knees, tears rolling down her pale complexion._

She gasped, head snapping upwards. Amity looked back and forth- the human slightly curled in on herself, head resting on Amity’s thigh. She sucked in a breath, running a finger through her hair in an attempt to fix the strands that had skewed out of place. Luz was in a different position than before, which meant that the paralysis potion was beginning to wear off slightly. If Varias added another dose, though… Amity bit her lip.

Her pale hand slid into the human’s palm, squeezing gently. 

“Luz… can you move? Or talk?” She tried to hold back the mounting concern in her voice, desperate to maintain a cool and collected composure. Amity needed to hold herself together, long enough to get out of this mess. The tanned girl groaned, leg twitching slightly before her eyelids blinked open. Luz’s typical bright brown eyes were dazed, clouded over with a misty haze, and unfocused.

“Are… you ‘zura?” the brunette slurred. Amity’s chest jolted. _What_? The human tugged on the witch’s hand, grunting with effort to twist onto her side. The potion had begun to wear off, but ultimately it seemed that Luz was still out of it and struggling to move… and mistaking Amity for Azura. “Hn.. thanks ‘zura… we’re gon’ get outta here and… m’mom. I knew… you were real,” 

“I… yes. We’ll get out of here. Your mom is waiting for you… everything will be fine, Luz. I’m here,” Amity whispered in reply. _Gosh_ this was all her fault, and now the human was completely dazed out of her mind. The pale girl slid her arms beneath Luz’s sweatshirt, pulling Luz towards her chest and cradling the human against her body. “I’m sorry, Luz. I didn’t treat you right. If I had just given you a chance, we… you wouldn’t be hurt. I’ll make it up to you, no matter what, Luz. This is my mistake, and I _will_ make things right,”

She didn’t respond, only slipping back into a small fit to breathe. Amity watched her shoulders rise and fall, every few seconds, the smallest of gasps or mumbles dripping from her vocal chords. The pale witch rubbed Luz’s back softly, small circles, as much comfort as she could muster. The tanned human made no response, the previous nod of consciousness melting away, along with the tiniest shred of hope that had sparked in Amity’s heart. 

“I didn’t mean to come off as cruel. I just… couldn’t show weakness. In my family, I can’t be anything less than perfect. I _needed_ to be the top student- to prove that I was powerful enough, _good_ enough. For my parents… and for myself. Being a Blight is hard- I’m constantly being compared to my siblings, pushed to be better, to the point I couldn’t even see how bad I was becoming- I was becoming my parents,” Amity rambled on, continuing the motion with her hands. The girl in her arms stirred, nudging her head against the witch’s neck.

The pale girl’s spine stiffened, hand hovering hesitantly above where it had previously been- uncertain as to what she should be doing in the current situation. Amity swallowed, picking up the human’s palm once again.

“I… Idea. ‘ve got friends on the inter...net,” Luz hummed, head rolling over. Amity had to catch the girl before she collapsed into the stone ground. “We could _yeet_ your ‘arents- go _weee_! ‘nd everything’ll be all good- _muy bueno_ ,”

“Human- I- did not understand the majority of what you just said. But, you don’t need to ‘yeet’ my parents, whatever that is- I can handle myself,” Amity’s mouth twisted. “But… thank you,”

And with that, the tanned teenager’s eyelids fluttered shut, and Amity sighed. She leaned back against the wall, gently resting the now limp body in her lap. The silence was unnerving. Varias had mentioned the need to cooperate, which Amity knew meant he wasn’t done with them yet. Wasn’t done with _Luz_ yet. And… the pale girl didn’t know if she could manage that, if she could watch the human repeatedly get harmed in reply to Amity’s own mistakes.

Speaking of, how long had she been out? Had it simply been a few hours, or longer? An entire night? It would have been helpful to catalog how long it had taken for the potion’s effects to wear off- if it was short term or longer. Knowing what exactly was going on with the human girl could help Amity construct a more thought out escape plan. If… if an entire night _had_ gone by without a rescue, then Amity wasn’t certain how long it would take. 

Amity could make out a distant screeching, like nails on a chalkboard. Her shoulders squared up, and her arms instinctively wrapped around the human’s torso protectively, holding her position as the noise grew louder, sending chills dancing over her pale skin.

The screeching came to a halt, and Amity could practically hear the taunting coming from the silence, poking and teasing- _will I come closer?_ Sweat rolled down her brow as she dragged in an uncertain breath, the silence droning on until the fear bubbling in her chest could barely contain itself.

The door creaked, the pale witch pressing herself against the wall while holding Luz tightly. Amity swallowed, amber eyes following the bulky wood as it swung into the room. Varias, clad in his black cowl, stepped into the room. A brown bag was slung over his shoulder, a metal chair in his grasp. He strolled into the room, the screeching continuing as the metal scratched against the stone.

Varias stopped in the center of the room, dusting off his hands on the bottom of his cloak. Amity shot a glare, pulling Luz closer as her ribcage threatened to shatter with the intensity her heart was beating at. The tanned girl’s eyes blinked open, the smallest of confused mumbles slipping through her lips. 

“Good morning,” he mused, leaning over the back of the chair. Amity’s eyes shifted to the open door, quickly snapping back towards the person in the center of the room. “I have a few _plans_ for today, Miss Blight. The more you tell me today, the sooner I’ll be able to enact my plan! The coven system will soon fall, and magic will be able to be wild- to _mix_ and create a new age. It’ll be a breath of fresh air, and you’ll be a vital part in obtaining it! Aren’t you excited?”

“ _No!_ Unleashing everything- merging the relics- it’s not going to lead you to power, it’s going to lead you to _destruction_! You, and countless others, will die. This isn’t going to work, I’m _not_ telling you anything that I know,” Amity hissed, watching as Varias stepped closer. He crouched, head level with her own. The pale witch’s breath hitched, the human in her grip mumbling once again and attempting to move, only to flop uselessly to the side.

“I see that the potion worked, for the most part, it seems. Definitely much quieter than the other day, so certainly an improvement,” he reached towards Luz, hand grasping her chin and moving her head around. Amity reached to swat his hand away- only stopping when the reality dawned on her- _anything she did to provoke him, Varias would take out on the human_. “Regardless, I believe that should be enough of _obstupefacio_ for now. I digress, let us return to the main objective of your visit, no?”

Amity didn’t have time to tighten her hold around Luz as the girl was jerked away, dropped into the metal chair. Her tanned head slumped over her shoulder, body slouching and threatening to flop to the ground until Varias gripped her shoulders, holding the human in place. Amity’s blood rushed, breath laboring- _she couldn’t slip up this time, Luz needed to stay safe, she couldn’t fail her, not again_.

“Are… you _Deadpool_? ‘Cause you look like… ‘boutta kill me,” the tanned girl snorted, head rolling over the back of the chair, clouded eyes staring at the figure looming above her. Amity’s fist clenched, _what was Deadpool? Was it something bad?_ the pale witch immediately berated herself- if she was mentioning it in the current moment, it was probably something bad. “Hn… ‘ere is your swords… go _fwoosh_... haha… I’m in danger,”

Varias looked at the human’s display, eyes slanting in disgust. The pale man slid his arm around Luz’s neck, forcing her head to remain towards the ceiling. 

“Now, Miss Blight, shall we begin?” Varias raised an eyebrow. The girl in his grip snorted again, eyes unfocused as they danced across the room. Amity reached for her wrist, squeezing tightly. _Everything would be okay. It needed to be_. “We’ll start simple- tell me about your mentor, Lilith Clawthorne. Her habits, typical whereabouts- where she lives,”

Amity’s mouth hung open. Varias was actively seeking to overthrow Lilith- anything she said would be used against her. Lilith’s home could lead to her death or capture, as well as her usual locations. Habits? She wasn’t certain, but they could be turned into weaknesses. Amity’s breath was heavy, sweat rolling down her neck. Varias tilted his head expectantly, in anticipation for an answer.

But Amity couldn’t _not_ answer. The human- _Luz_ would pay for it. With every second the pale witch hesitated, the patience slipped from Varias’ complexion. Luz wasn’t safe, something bad was _going_ to happen; either to Lilith, or to Luz. Amity knew that if he followed through with his plan, so much could go wrong, more than just losing her mentor- the wild tendencies of mixing magic would assume control, disrupting the balance that the Emperor’s Coven had worked so hard to enforce. Criminals and rogues would be everywhere, danger lurking around every corner. But on the other hand, Luz would get hurt again if she kept staying silent.

She swallowed hard, clenching her eyes shut tightly. Amity pulled her knees in close, wrapping her arms around herself. There was the smallest of shuffling- her amber eyes snapping upwards. Varias peeled open his satchel, fingers digging around the bag. She could hear the clinking of glass- the bag was full of potions- could it be more of the previous potions? Or something worse? Was Luz going to _die_? He pulled out a small vial- and Amity’s chest clenched. _No- he- not now, she can’t_ \- the tanned girl beneath his grip giggled lightly, unaware of the situation.

“No! I- wait!” Amity gasped- hand reaching outwards. Her limbs were stiff, knees sliding onto the ground and refusing to get up. Her lungs dragged in as much air as they could, but it felt so _difficult_ , distant, and a struggle to gather oxygen. Her heart crashed to the ground, desperate. _Luz was going to get hurt, why can’t you just talk, Amity?_

“You had your chance to speak; and you chose not to. It is my turn, and I am selecting to issue your punishment. Watch closely, every time you refuse to answer my questions, she will _suffer_ ,” Varias growled, eyes sparkling with a glint of pure malice. Amity wanted to cry- but she didn’t. She pushed back the fear that threatened to bubble past her exterior, eyes wide with terror as he slowly uncorked the vial- vibrant green liquid inside of the small glass. Luz continued to mumble- words Amity couldn’t understand, every now and then a light snort slipping past her lips. _She didn’t even know what was going on, and she was about to-_ Amity choked on a sob. She was about to get _tortured_ and it’d all be Amity’s fault.

Her head was already tilted back, all he needed to do was pour the vial’s contents into her mouth. Amity stifled another sob, watching as the liquid exited the vial, and within seconds, it was empty. Amity’s breathing grew irregular- rapid, _scared_. The human gagged, eyes remaining clouded. Varias wrapped his hands over her mouth, fingers closing over her airways- _no- no, no- not again- please no-_ he didn’t let go. The girl swallowed- Amity watched her throat bob with the action- she knew that their captor had seen it, too. But he _didn’t let go_.

Luz’s limbs began to twitch rapidly, torso jerking sporadically, fingers clenching and unclenching. The human’s head snapped back, hitting the edge of the chair aggressively, and Varias finally removed his hands from her face. The girl continued to twitch, and Amity let a tear slide down her face. _What was he doing to her?_ Luz kicked out, continuing to spasm uncontrollably. Varias twirled his finger, bright yellow bindings wrapping themselves around the human’s limbs, holding them down against the metal chair. 

“Stop! Make it _stop!_ ” Amity didn’t realize she had begun to scream. The pale witch had lurched forwards, preparing to throw herself at the man in the room. She panted heavily, eyebrows slanting into a furious glare. Luz’s twitching only grew worse, her body bucking against the restraints. Amity wanted to shatter, _why hadn’t it stopped, it needed to stop-_

The human began to cough, blood spilling from her lips. Amity continued to shout, dashing forwards. Varias stepped to the side, the pale witch skidding into the wall. Her heart thundered against her ribcage, watching as the puddle of crimson on the stone floor only grew. It dribbled down her face, tears mixing with the dark liquid. She… her eyes were so unfocused- she hadn’t even _screamed_ and she was the one going through the pain-   
  
“Are you ready to talk?” Varias cocked his head, amused. Amity fell to her knees, fingernails digging into her palms as she struggled to catch her breath. The blood- it… it wasn’t stopping. All of that was supposed to be _inside_ the human’s body- not pooling onto the ground. Amity bit her lip. _I’m sorry, Lilith_.

“Yes- I- just please make it stop. I’ll talk when it stops, _please_ ,” Amity begged. Sweat glued the loose hairs to her forehead, but the pale girl couldn’t find the motive to care at the moment. Varias hummed, nodding his head. The former coven leader pulled out a new vial, filled with a pale purple liquid. The young witch sucked in a deep breath, watching as Varias uncorked the vial and poured the contents into the tanned human’s mouth. She swallowed unprompted, her coughing fit beginning to slow. The crimson ceased, the only remains being what dribbled down her chin and stained her sweatshirt. Luz dragged in a long breath, eyes slipping shut and head falling limp.

“Wonderful! Now, let’s see- tell me where Lilith lives,” Varias turned away from Luz, the bindings dissipating. The human girl collapsed, laying in the puddle of her own blood. Amity swallowed. _Lilith… please forgive me_.

“She lives in the outskirts of Bonesborough. She… Lilith- her house is at the edge of the woods, a tall woodland mansion, it’s bordered by a large fence and trees,” Amity gulped. Varias followed along, eyes tired and nonchalant as he accepted the information. The pale witch’s eyes darted between the others in the room.

“Very well. That wasn’t so hard, was it? I will be back later. Remember what you witnessed today- I will not hesitate to repeat it. And next time, there’s a _very_ high chance that I will not prepare an antidote. Understood?” the former coven leader growled. Amity nodded, heart thundering as his hand wrapped around the back of the chair, dragging it out of the room. The door slammed shut, and the pale girl simply sat there, mind racing. The screeching faded away, and all she could hear was the gurgled coughs, plaguing her memory.

_Luz_.

Without another second to spare, Amity crawled towards the figure on the ground. The girl was covered in blood, and it… definitely couldn’t be comfortable. Hoisting Luz upwards, Amity rested her against the wall- away from the mess on the floor. The pale witch studied the human- her sweatshirt was soaked in blood, and the crimson liquid was smeared over her cheeks and one of her arms, but her shorts and leggings were relatively clear. If Amity removed the hoodie- Luz would probably be a bit more comfortable. But… if the room grew cold, she’d have nothing but an undershirt.

Unless Amity draped her cowl over the girl.

The blood had already begun to dry. Amity ignored the way it smeared onto her fingers, working on pulling the wet fabric over the human girl’s head. Soon enough, she managed to drop it into the corner. Amity frowned- _why did Luz have to look so frail?_ She shook the thought away, unbuttoning her cowl and draping it over the tanned girl’s shoulders.

Amity brushed the hair out of Luz’s face, focused on the faint twitching in her eyelids.

“Luz? Can… are you okay?” Amity whispered. The human blinked- eyes still unfocused but significantly less clouded over than earlier. Amity bit her lip, hands resting on her shoulder. 

_”Dónde estámos… quiero mi mamá… por favor, quiero regresar a mi casa,”_ the girl whispered. Amity’s heart dropped again. What was she saying? Did Varias do something to her, rendering her unable to speak? The words seemed to make sense to the girl… perhaps it was a human thing.

“It’s okay, Luz. Everything is going to be okay, I’ll make sure of it,”   
  
_____________________________________

“Have you seen this kid? She’s about yay tall, looks strangely happy, and is clearly about to get lost the second she leaves my vision, which she did,” Eda walked through the market, a small wanted poster in hand. She walked up to another stranger, shoving the paper into their face. “Have you seen my kid?”

“Ha! You’re being maternal!” the small demon at her feet sneered. The woman grunted, nudging King with her foot before scampering on. She stopped at her _Human Collectibles_ stand, slamming the paper onto the table aggressively.

“Look, King. Luz is _missing_ and if I don’t find her, I’ll have to go to the authorities or even worse… my _sister_ ,” Eda groaned, eyes scanning her surroundings for someone she had yet to press for information. “And I really don’t want to do that, so we’re asking everyone we see if they’ve seen her,” 

“But Eda,” King whined, splaying himself out on the table. “The last time we saw Luz was after you fought _with_ your sister. She probably thought you were unfit to be a teacher and took Luz under her wing,” 

“That… that actually makes sense,” Eda paused. The woman tapped her chin, eyes narrowing as she looked at her surroundings. “Want to go beat up my sister and get Luz back?”

“Yay! Senseless violence!” the small demon cheered. The woman twirled her finger, all of the objects lying around the stand packing themselves tightly into a small sack, which Eda promptly caught and hung over the edge of her staff. 

“Hop on, King, we have some _fights_ to pick,” Eda patted the spot on the staff next to her, patiently waiting for the demon to crawl onto his place and grasp tightly. She smacked the side of the wood, cheering as they jetted off into the air. 

The wind whipped through Eda’s hair, flapping wildly in the air as she leaned inwards, Owlbert’s wings hovering as he followed suit, the group decreasing in altitude when they began to near the outskirts of the town.

“Hey Eda? Why do you know where your sister lives but you two haven’t talked in _years_?” King’s voice cut through the wind. Eda’s lips turned into a scowl, eyes sliding shut as the woman shrugged.

“The vandalism rebellion had to start _somewhere_ ,” the pale woman mumbled, heels touching the ground just before the path faded away to the tapered forest. “Alrighty, we’ll have to walk from here, her gargoyles would start screaming the second they see us in the air,”  
_____________________________________

“I certainly hope that you are aware of the fact that your sister has yet to return home after yesterday’s embarrassment. Do you know of any locations where she would spend her time? It is of utmost importance that Amity returns home,” the man’s hands were folded in his lap, his wife at his side. The Blight family was one of the richest names in the Boiling Isles- Emira and Edric knew that the other day’s _incident_ would only lead to trouble for their younger sister, but you could never say no to their parents- you always needed to give them what they wished for.

“Yes, Father. We’ll check and see if Mittens- er, _Amity_ is anywhere we can think of. We’ll get back to you later,” Emira acknowledged, bowing her head and nudging her brother to do the same. He fell into the pose, and the twins awaited their parents’ response.

“Be sure to inform your sister that she will be in great trouble for tarnishing our reputation,” their mother chimed. The Blight twins nodded in unison, scurrying out of the study. Emira grasped her brother’s hand, pulling him close.

“Mittens may be stuck up, but whatever our _lovely_ parents are planning to do, won’t be good. I love teasing her just as much as the next person, but if we find her, we can _not_ let her go home,” the female twin hissed. She let go of Edric’s shirt, continuing to walk down the hallway.

“Should we check the library first?” Edric raised an eyebrow, pushing open the manor’s front door. 

“Library first, if she isn’t there we should double check the Covention center,” Emira nodded. The two slipped onto the brick pathway, walking in perfect unison. Their walk was silent- the unsettling dread falling onto the twins’ shoulders. Emira sighed. “Do you think Mittens is okay?”

“She probably got embarrassed and ran off to her little hideout, fell asleep reading a book, and was too scared to go home,” Edric muttered, rounding the next corner into a busier part of the market. “Maybe the human girl will know where she is, maybe they even-“

“Edric you are _unbelievable_ ,” Emira groaned, smacking her brother in the back of his head. “Firstly, we don’t have the time to seek out the human girl, and secondly, Mittens wouldn’t run off _with_ the human girl, she’s too much of a brown-noser. We can tease her about things once we know she’s okay… you know what Mom and Dad are like,”

“Yeah. What’s your plan for keeping her out of the house, though?” the male twin tilted his head, the two stepping onto the first stair that led up to the library. Emira hesitated, stopping in her footsteps.

“I don’t know, Edric. But she needs to loosen up more, otherwise she’ll end up like _them_ ,” the girl sighed. “Just drag her around all day? Tease her? Embarrass her? I’m _worried_ about her. We need to do more to keep her on the right track,”

Emira continued forwards, Edric following after her. The twins entered the building, and instead of continuing with their typical shenanigans, went straight towards the romance section. The female twin’s fingers brushed over the book- _The Lone Witch & The Secret Room_.

The bookshelf slid open, revealing an empty room.

“She isn’t here?” Edric’s voice rang through the growing silence. The two entered the room, taking a small look around. “Huh. Maybe she already left for the day,”

“No, look,” Emira pointed at the diary splayed open. The most recent page was two days ago, before all of the events at the Covention. “She hasn’t been here, maybe- maybe she’s at the Covention center still,”

“They would have kicked her out, Edric- I… maybe she went to her mentor’s house? We could check there. Mentors let their students stay with them occasionally, right? I bet she spent the night there,” Emira grabbed her brother’s wrist, spinning on her foot and dashing out of the building.   
_____________________________________

Eda adjusted her grip on her staff, drawing a spell circle into the air. Pushing it forwards, the mansion’s front door was sent tumbling into a distant wall- the Owl Lady couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to whatever damage was being caused. There was a small cheer behind her, and the woman charged into the foyer.

Narrowing her eyed, Eda scanned her surroundings. _There was no light scent of lemon, and no glitter dusting the floors. If Luz was here, she wasn’t being kept anywhere open_.

“Edalyn? What are you _doing_ here?” Lilith’s startled gasp had the woman spinning on her heel, a large spell circle fizzled into the air, a bright light shooting towards the coven leader. Lilith dodged, holding out her hand and a sleek, white, staff swung into her grasp.

Lilith casted a circle, pressing it towards Eda. King three himself at the coven leader’s ankles, pulling angrily on her shoes. The woman growled, kicking the small demon away.

“Give me back my kid!” Eda spat, swinging her staff into the woman’s side. Lilith cocked an eyebrow in confusion, dropping to the ground and rolling away from the others. She popped back up, a large circle shoving the Owl Lady and King into the ground.

“I don’t _have_ your pupil, Edalyn. In fact, mine was late for our lesson and I was on my way to _your_ stand to see if you _kidnapped_ her to spite me!” The raven haired woman barked, dusting off her cowl and standing up.

“Why would _I_ kidnap your student? Come on, Lilly, I have standards,” Eda rolled her eyes, looking down at the small demon next to her. “And King here wouldn’t let me live if we got another housemate,”

“The blue angry witch girl stomped on my cupcake! I don’t want her anywhere near me!” the tiny creature whined. Lilith dropped her hand, allowing the two figures to sit up from the ground.

“So, Edalyn. What you’re telling me is that your pupil is missing, my student is late- which she _never_ is, if I may add- and you have no clue regarding either of their whereabouts?” Lilith’s face contorted. Her previous cold complexion had shifted to one of genuine worry. 

“Maybe your protegé didn’t want to come back after _you_ forced her to cheat in a Witch’s Duel,” Eda’s words were sarcastic, yet still seemed to make a hit on the younger woman. 

“Miss Clawthorne?” a new voice had everyone in the room’s heads swerving towards the front door- or, lack thereof. “We were just wondering if Mittens- er, _Amity_ was here? Or even stayed the night at your place?”

Two identical twins stood in the doorway; the only factor differentiating them being their genders. One, a pale, slim, girl with long green hair and amber eyes- the same amber eyes that the Amity girl had. The other, a slender boy with matching green hair and eyes. 

“Edric, Emira- Amity never made it home?” Lilith’s face had completely fallen. The two twins shook their heads in reply. “So we have two missing children on our hands,”

“Ow!” The boy rubbed the back of his head, a letter fluttering to the ground. The girl- Emira, picked up the paper, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s addressed to you, Miss Clawthorne,” she spoke, handing out the neatly folded paper to the pale woman. She pulled it from Emira’s fingertips, eyes scanning over the envelope- finding nothing more than her name. Lilith frowned, peeling it open. What little color was in her skin promptly faded away in a flash.

_Lilith Clawthorne,_

_If you are reading this letter, then wonderful! It seems that the Blight girl didn’t lie to me, and that would make my job much easier. Now, you have possibly noticed that your pupil, Amity Blight, is missing! Now do not fret, for she is perfectly safe and has not been harmed. I will return her to you if you follow through with my instructions, so read carefully._

_You will give me access to the Emperor’s Palace, specifically the throne room. You will provide me with a schedule, and you will remain quiet about this entire exchange- or I will not hesitate to end the girl’s life. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, how silly of me. It’s Varias! You recall who I am; no? I was the former Potions Coven leader before I was so crudely thrown aside! Regardless, I digress._

_Tomorrow night, I will meet you at the outskirts of Bonesborough with Amity Blight, in which you will provide the information and papers I have asked for._

_See you tomorrow, Lilith! I cannot wait to see you again, what do you say?_

_Your acquaintance,  
Varias Kavir_


	3. crimson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An attempt is made, but things fail miserably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOO!! SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT BUT,,, LONGER CHAPTER!! 6k words this time!!! I’ve been swamped by the start of school but we’re hopping back on track!!
> 
> Again, HUGE THANKS TO @kingpincorvid ON INSTAGRAM FOR ILLUSTRATING!!! LOVE YOU PHOENIX!! PLS GIVE THEM LOVE!!
> 
> Find me and my art on insta!! I’m @pineapple_briize!

Amity didn’t sleep. The blood on her hands had dried, the deep crimson marking through her fingers and palms. Luz had yet to be coherent- only mumbling in what seemed to be some sort of gibberish- or human, possibly even demon lingo. Amity didn’t understand, but she wanted to.

The rough iron scent filled the room within hours, and it was all the young witch could seem to smell. She wondered that if… no- _when_ they escaped, she’d ever be able to get the blood out from beneath her fingernails, or if she’d ever be able to forget the crimson pooling at Luz’s feet. Amity doubted it; but she could always hope.

_Why_ did she have to hesitate? Lilith was more than capable of fighting for herself. She and Luz were around the same age- mere children. Lilith had experience, power, and access to strong weaponry that would work in her favor. Amity didn’t have any of that- all she had was a human girl’s life resting in her hands. And for the second time, Amity had failed her. 

Luz still rested against the wall, bags tugging beneath her eyes as weak mumbles slipped through her lips. The pale witch couldn’t decipher anything- and that in itself was mortifying. Amity sucked in a deep breath, sliding towards Luz’s side, resting an arm over the tanned girl’s shoulder. The human’s heartbeat was rapid, yet at a steady pace. Her breaths were sharp, but not at any danger of hyperventilating. In summary, Luz was at the line between fine and broken- and Amity still couldn’t help but blame herself for the pain that the human girl had been subjected to. 

“I need you to talk to me, Luz. I need to know you’re there- I need to know that you’re _okay_ ,” Amity whispered, burying her face into Luz’s neck. 

When the Blight had been younger, she recalled the day that her family’s pet hellhound had abruptly passed away. Amity had been in complete shock- the day prior everything was fine. Buddy had been eager and energetic, wagging his tails and barking excitedly when the young witch had gotten home from a day at school. And then the following afternoon, when she had been playing with Willow in the fields, Edric and Emira solemnly broke the news.

Amity had fallen to her knees, tears running like rivers down her face. The twins turned on their heels, leaving the two young witches alone. While the Blight had been crying, Willow had leaned onto her shoulder, wrapping her arms around the girl. Her soft locks had nestled against her neck, and the witch had whispered-

“It’s going to be okay,” tears slid down Amity’s face, the limp girl in her arms subtly shaking in response. It was going to be okay. It would have to be- Amity would make sure of it, she swore on the Titan’s gift- _everything would be okay_.

“ _Estoy aquí. Lo siento, tengo miedo, quiero mi mamá, quiero… quiero ir a casa, por favor- no puedo… no puedo hacer esto nunca más, nunca más,_ ” Luz’s voice cracked, glazed eyes wide with fear. Amity clutched the girl 's shoulders tighter, breath hitching in a sob.  
“Luz, I’m so sorry. This is my mess, my mistake- and you got dragged into it all. I don’t _understand_ \- please, _please_ hold on. I’ll get us out of here, I promise, I just need time to plan,” her Amber eyes drifted towards the bloodstained hoodie balled on the ground. “But… we don’t have time, do we? I just… need to think,”

_Think_. What did she have to offer? Amity pulled her head away from the tanned human, wincing as a tuft of brown hair was caught in her earring.

_Her earring_. Amity’s eyes widened, pale fingers reaching towards her pointed ears. They fiddled with the metal, ultimately pulling the backing away from the triangle and weeding the sharp point away from Luz’s hair. Biting her lip, the witch took in a deep breath.

Without magic, Abominations were inanimate objects- malleable sludge, all beginning with a mix of solids and liquids. Under the proper spell, they could be molded into any shape- typically body parts such as arms or heads, even full creatures- the most common form. If… if Amity could use the spell on the earring, could it possibly be molded into a new shape?

Her gaze turned towards the door, and the girl stumbled towards it blindly. Tracing over the doorknob, the pale witch’s lips tightened in thought. Amity drew a small spell circle into the air, keen on focusing her energy as it pressed itself against the doorknob. It hummed with blue light, only to fade away seconds later.

_So, magic was keeping the doorknob intact from being casted on. The only other option would be to try and pick the lock…_ Amity sucked in a deep breath, head heavy and thundering with exhilaration. This needed to work- there was no other way, and Luz’s _life_ was in her hands now. She couldn’t fail- this wasn’t some exam to study her progress as a witch, this wasn’t a publicity stunt to impress her parents or bring good fortune to the Blight name- this was life and death, and the odds didn’t seem to be in the young witch’s favor- they never were. 

Sinking to her knees, Amity unfurled her palm, studying the black earring carefully. It was an inanimate object, a weak and rather flimsy metal. With enough heat… her mind wandered towards a fire spell Edric and Emira had shown her- focus was the key to precision. With enough heat, she could melt the earring down and use some of the skills she had been taught in the Abominations track to mold it into the shape she needed- a simple lock pick capable of opening the door and _freeing_ them from this nightmare.

“It’s all on you, Amity,” she whispered to herself, illustrating the smallest of circles above her index finger. It illuminated the darkness with a pale magenta light, sinking between every stone lodged into the wall. _Focus_. The young witch held the earring above the circle- a small concentrated flame erupting from her fingertips. Silver dripped down the sharp end of the earring, the longer Amity held it, the more malleable the object became. Deep breaths- she needed to concentrate. This wasn’t an abomination, the ingredients weren’t working in unison with her magic.

One breath in. Amity held her position, eyebrows furrowing as the liquified metal continued to drip downwards, holding itself together into a thin point. Amber eyes shifted between the object and the door. If she used it now, it could still be too warm and break off inside the lock- immediately blocking any escape attempts. But, an ice spell would cause the lock pick to break into pieces if she didn’t give it time.

Going against her better judgement, Amity rested the elongated earring on the ground, near the wall, and shrouded in darkness. She ran a few fingers through her hair, sitting down next to the human and pulling the girl close.

“There. We’ll get out of here soon, I promise. I’ll take you to the Healing Coven’s infirmary and they’ll… they’ll help. You’ll be okay- and I just… I know I said it a lot but I’m sorry. Luz, I didn’t want this. When I said those things- you don’t need to be fixed. It’s me- I need to rethink myself. I should have never let that happen- I was stupid and you got hurt because of me,” Amity broke down into sobs, the dazed girl in her grip awkwardly dropping her head onto the witch’s shoulder, eliciting a tight embrace from Amity. 

It had been _so long_ since Amity had cried like this- her parents always told her that displaying emotions in such a manner was improper and a wrong to the family name. The pale girl hardly cried after she lost Willow, dumping all of her emotions into a diary- a safe space- nobody to listen, but nobody to judge either.

Yet here she was, all of her tears spilling freely down her chin as she grasped the human tightly. Amity knew it was wrong, and she didn’t _deserve_ to cry- she was fine, she wasn’t hurt. Luz was barely holding on because of Amity’s mistakes, and Amity was the one crying over it. But the guilt bubbling up inside of her was just too much- she couldn’t keep it all in anymore. 

_“Por favor, no lloras. ¿Dónde estamos? ¿Sabes mi… sabes donde mi mama es? Tengo miedo. ¿Tienes miedo? No se… quiero mi mama,”_ Luz 's fingers weakly latched around the fabric on Amity 's back. The witch sucked in a deep breath, struggling to wipe away the tears staining her cheeks. 

“I- Luz- I don’t _understand_ ,” Amity whispered, using her sleeve to rub at the dried blood on the human girl’s face. Her typically sun kissed skin was paler than usual- was that something Amity should be worried about? Blights were pale, so were many witches. Never had she paid enough attention to others- she hadn’t even taken any courses for the Healing Track- she was an Abominations student respectively, and her parents would not have stood for her studying a second track. Not when it could tarnish their reputation.

Luz’s hands fell to the ground, eyes blinking rapidly. Amity unraveled her arms from the girl, helping rest the human’s body against the wall. _Think, Amity! What’s she trying to say? What’s going on with her?_ The young witch’s stomach quickly dropped- she wasn’t _dying_ , was she? Luz was a human- there had never been a reported human on the Isles before- at least not one that the public had known about. Humans were different, fragile. Could her body not handle the potions? Could it even register the antidote? Amity pushed the thoughts away, a steady pulse filling her senses as she pressed her fingers against Luz’s wrist.

Amber eyes fell onto the lock pick- ears tilting with anxiety as she gently placed the metal into her palm. It was cool to the touch- a good sign. Now was their chance to escape, if Amity hesitated any longer… the witch swallowed, shaking her head. _She wouldn’t think about that now_. The pale girl slid her hands beneath Luz’s arms, fingers clenched tightly around the earring as she hoisted the girl upwards, slinging an arm over her shoulder as the human did her best to stand- eyes blankly staring onwards.

Oblivious to everything around her.

Amity stepped towards the door, fumbling with the earring until it slid into the keyhole. She didn’t have much time, if Varias came back and found her like this, Luz would pay for it. If the lock pick broke, they were stuck. If there were more locked doors to get through, Amity didn’t know how long it would take to get through- if he _found them_ -

_Stop it, Amity! You need to focus right now, stop letting your mind wander. You need to do this now. There’s no other time- now or never. This is your mess, you need to fix it_. The earring slid around the crevice, every few moments a silent click and Amity’s spine would stiffen. The girl gave the lock a final twist, the doorknob turning and allowing the door to creak open. 

Amity’s breath caught in her throat, foot hovering above the ground. Should she run? Sneak? The girl over her shoulder began to slouch over, her knees bending dangerously low.

“Luz, please hold on for just a bit longer- we’re almost there, we just need to find the way out. I can’t carry you all the way, okay? I need you to work with me. When… when we’re out you don’t have to see me again- I know that’ll… that’ll probably be hard for you. I’m so sorry for all of this, Luz. When we’re out you can yell at me all you want- tell me how much you hate me, _anything_ -” Amity cut herself off, swallowing hard and sticking her head out of the doorway.

The hallway was dim, a few sconces lined the walls, each containing their own lit candle. Amity ducked against the side of the hall, the human girl tripping over her feet with the movement. The corridor felt like it would go on for hours- no discernable end in sight. But given the fact Varias was able to come to the room rather quickly after their first encounter, Amity pinned the darkness on lack of lighting, or possibly even an illusion charm to fool intruders- or prisoners, it was anybody’s guess.

Amity tried to think. The other day- before… she stifled a gag. Earlier that morning. The noise- what way had it come from? The door had swung open, Amity watched from her spot against the wall as Varias entered the room.

The witch’s eyes snapped open. _She had been able to see him when he walked in_. He had come from the left end of the hallway- which meant that an exit, or anything that would lead them further in their escape could be over there. Weapons, possibly? Amity dragged in a deep breath, adjusting the girl latched over her shoulder and scaling against the stone bricks that became the walls. 

“ _No me gusta… tengo miedo, no visitamos el hombre- por favor, no puedo- quiero ir a casa-_ ” Luz began to speak frantically, tears sliding down her face as she struggled to get away from Amity. The witch bit her lip, fingers tightly wrapped around the human’s wrist.

“I’m _sorry_ , Luz- I don’t know what you’re trying to _say_ \- we’re getting out of here, I promise- everything will be okay, and you can get back to the owl shack and… fry owls? I don’t know what you do there- but everything can go back to normal,” Amity hushed, pulling the human close. The girl crumbled into her shoulders, and the pale witch did her best to ignore the iron scent. Had Luz always been this light? Amity could have sworn the girl was heavier after… the first potion. She had been stiff, and difficult to prop up- and now she felt so _thin_ , like porcelain. Nudged too far, and she would shatter.

Luz said nothing in reply. Amity didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared. Her panicked yells wouldn’t drag attention to them- but was she even conscious? The witch bit back a cry- now was _not_ the time to be scared. When they got out, when they were _safe_ \- her emotions could take over. But not now.

The darkness was approaching. The closer Amity got, the more it felt like an inky abyss of nothing- further supporting her theory regarding an illusion charm. Biting her lip, she pressed through. The obscurity felt like tendrils- rolling over her skin until she emerged on the other side.

It wasn’t an exit- but it was a start. A very… disappointingly morbid start. Amity looked to the girl slumped over her shoulder, placing an arm beneath her knees and hoisting her upwards. The room was illuminated by a series of torches, the metal chair from the previous day tucked into the corner. Tables and shelves took up every available space in the room- littered with glass vials- assortments of vibrant liquids, some pulsating with distinct patterns, others casting soft glows over other bottles, reflections splayed into a mess of color.

Amity stepped back, nearly tripping over the chair. The witch quickly turned on her heel, tightening her grip around Luz as she registered the dried blood evident on the seat. Blood that should still be _inside_ her body, not- not resting in a grand puddle on the ground, or staining her clothes. 

It was wrong.

The young witch tried to put names to the beakers- she could identify an array of golden liquid as _Obstupefacio_ \- the paralyzation agent Varias had used on the human. Beyond that, she spotted the clear liquid. This could be her chance to figure out what he had done to her- a simple paralyzation potion should have had no effect on Luz’s cognition, it could be something dangerous, or even something she _needed_ to know. How could the healers help if they didn’t know what was wrong in the first place? 

Amity reached towards the beaker, fingers curling around the top of the glass and pulling it close.

“Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise?” fear shot down Amity’s spine, hand swinging into a defensive position. The potion fell to the ground, glass smashing into pieces. The pale girl winced, a shard sinking into her shin. She could feel the blood that began to bead at the cut, but chose to ignore it in favor of drawing a circle into the air.

Varias tilted his head curiously, a golden circle erupting from his palm and wrapping a bubble around Amity’s arm. She swallowed, pulling as hard as she could against his hold.

“Eager, aren’t you? You’re fortunate that I was just on my way to collect you! I’m certain you can imagine my shock when you entered this room? I’m impressed, _wonderful_ job! But, playtime is over, and it’s time to go, so be a good student and put that pet down, would you?” he stepped closer, golden light slinking up her shoulder. 

“She’s not a _pet_ ,” Amity hissed. The young witch swiftly placed the human on the ground, grabbing the nearest beaker and sending it hurtling towards Varias. The glass hit his chest, shattering on impact. The Blight watched with satisfaction as a single crimson rivulet dripped from the dark fabric, his spell breaking concentration and allowing Amity to draw her own circle into the air. All she could feel was fury as she pushed the spell towards him, glasses shattering as he flew into the table. Amity stepped closer, fingers pressed into his throat. “And _you’re_ not taking us _anywhere_ ,”

“Oh, Miss Blight- has Lilith never taught you to watch your footing?” he flashed a grin. Amity’s hand faltered, Varias’s leg kicking out and sending the girl tumbling to the ground. She growled, glass shards digging into her palm as she began to pick herself up. Wiping away the blood that slowly dripped from her fingertips, Amity turned around, eyes snapping open.

Varias held a curved blade against Luz’s throat, holding her above the ground. Her eyes were shut, arms limply hanging by her side. _No_. Amity _promised_. They would both get out of here- they’d both get out of here _alive_.   
  
“Stay put,” Varias’ lips tugged into a thin line. There was no sadistic grin behind his words- and somehow the lack of emotion only sent off a series of warning bells in the back of her mind. Her heart thundered dangerously against her ribcage- each pound of it growing closer to shattering the bones encasing it. Her breath caught in her throat- mind racing. “Listen closely, Blight. You and I have a trip to make tonight, understood? I will be exchanging you for information from your mentor. We meet at the outskirts of Bonesborough in approximately two hours- it’s _quite_ a walk, and you will not put up any sort of fight, and you will _not_ hesitate- understood?”

“What about Luz? You said _you and I_ \- where does Luz fit into all of this? I- I won’t go with you unless you take her, too,” Amity stood her ground, voice wavering slightly. She sucked in a breath, sweat beading at her forehead and the back of her neck.

“Child, I believe you _misunderstood_. You are not in control here. The human girl is worth nothing- she doesn’t belong here, she is a speck of _dust_ compared to the grand scheme of the Isles- compared to my _plan_. Of course I’ll take her, just I’ll be taking her _life_ ,” 

Amity didn’t have time to think. Didn’t have time to register his words. The blade was driven into her chest, glazed brown eyes growing wide as a weak gurgle escaped her lips. The young witch’s blood ran cold, amber eyes watching as the human’s body was haphazardly dropped to the ground.  
  
  
“ _No!_ ” Amity’s voice was high- was she screaming? She couldn’t remember screaming. When had she gotten onto the ground? Everything was moving too fast- the blood spreading on the ground was moving _too fast_ \- everything needed to slow down, just for a moment, everything needed to be _okay_. Amity choked on a sob, hands reaching to cover her mouth.

She couldn’t remember when hands grasped her shoulders, or when darkness had tugged the edges of her vision.

And she _certainly_ didn’t remember trekking through the woods and taking a seat in the grass. Or allowing a cloth to be pressed into her mouth- Amity believes that she would have remembered that happening, and that there would be an iron taste in her mouth from biting the captor’s hand repeatedly throughout the process.

_____________________________________

“So, what? He wants information, Lilly- just give it to him!” Eda barked, arms crossed as King stood firmly by her side. The younger sibling’s lips were turned into a frown, eyebrows furrowed, and her foot tapped impatiently on the ground. “He has our kids- er, _students_. You’re really just going to stand him up? Lilly, this is _Varias Kavir_. That guy who tried killing all of the coven leaders? The guy has no remorse. If you do this, he’ll kill _both_ of them,”

“Edalyn! That letter was _not_ addressed to you!” the raven haired woman spat, palm slamming into the coffee table. The sudden movement disturbed the paper resting on the surface, and Lilith promptly straightened her posture, dusting off her cloak. “Pardon my _outburst_. It was not addressed to you. There was no mention of your apprentice, sister- this is an issue I am involved with. I would not be surprised if your human pet ran off after you cheated for her at the Covention,”

“That kid loves me, and this little demon. She wouldn’t run off, she always comes running back after an hour or two,” the Owl Lady rolled her eyes, carelessly collapsing into the chair behind her. Lilith winced at the action, sighing and rubbing her forehead. 

“There is no mention of her in the note, Edalyn. If he wanted anything from _you_ , he would have said so. Your student is probably off with one of her friends, she came to the Covention with two of them, am I wrong? Please, sister- just allow me to carry through with my own procedures,” Lilith’s fingers slid through her hair. 

“If you’re not going, then I am. One of the first things that kid said to me was something about her mom killing her if she died here. I’m not in the mood to get beaten with a slipper, Lilly,” Eda deadpanned. The tiny demon jumped onto the coffee table, picking up the note in his paws and squinting as he read closely.

“Why don’t you just lie? Give him some fake papers- ooh, maybe something about demons! I’m a demon _expert_ \- ask me anything and I have the answer!” King declared, dropping the paper to the ground and standing proudly on the table. His demeanor quickly faltered, head lowering. “I just want to help Luz- so if my demon knowledge can do that just… let me know,”

“Fine. I will go to the designating meeting spot, and you two will be allowed to accompany me- _if_ you remain hidden. Understood?” The Coven Leader exhaled sharply, turning on her heel. Her pale eyes fell over the two silent figures standing near the doorway. “As you are Amity’s immediate family, you may come as well. But, I am aware of your tendencies. If you attempt any mischief, note that your sister’s _life_ is on the line. Do not make me regret this decision,”

“Understood, Miss Clawthorne,” the twins chimed in unison, exchanging a glance as the raven haired woman exited the room swiftly.

“It’s getting late- we should follow her. If we want to be there for Mittens- er, Amity,” Emira’s voice was low, but the remaining people in the room nodded in agreement. Eda hoisted King onto her shoulder, calling for her staff and made her way towards the exit. 

_____________________________________

“Lilith Clawthorne,” Amity’s eyes snapped open at the sound of footsteps- leaves crunching beneath the weight of someone’s body. Varias stood behind her, spell circle pressed into her back as he maintained a hold on her limbs. “I see you’ve made the correct decision,”

The young Blight watched as Lilith’s expression faltered for a second as they made eye contact, the Coven Leader continuing her gaze beyond Amity. The girl swallowed, heart thundering in her throat. She couldn’t _talk_ \- they needed to go back, they needed to save Luz! They- they couldn’t let her die- shivers ran down her spine.

“I’ve gathered the information you requested, Varias. Now release my student, and I will hand it over. I am not here to play your games, I’d like this exchange to be as brief as possible,” any emotion previously displayed in Lilith’s face was gone, her tone stark and emotionless. Amity struggled to drag in a breath- _no, this wasn’t over!_

“Understood,” Varias hummed, nudging Amity forward. The girl let out a sharp squeak, scrambling to her feet. She could barely focus- her mind drifting away with ever soft gust of wind that riffled through her hair. Her brain kept replaying the previous events- she could remember the chair’s screeching, see the blood dripping from Luz’s lips, smell the sickeningly sweet scent of blood. She could hear the silent gurgle that escaped from the human before… before her body fell to the ground in a heap. How long had it been? Was she even still alive? 

“Release Amity first, and then I will give you the schedules and notes,” Lilith spoke confidently. Amity didn’t know how she was handling the situation- she was an adult, yes- but her position as Coven Leader was at risk by giving away any information! The mint haired girl was pushed towards her mentor. The hold he held over her wrists was gone, and Amity found herself tumbling into Lilith’s chest, arms wrapping around her protectively.

The pale girl could feel one of the arms lift- presumably to hand off whatever documents Varias had demanded in exchange for her.

“Hold on! You, potions rat! Where the heck is _my_ student?” Amity’s head snapped to the side, watching as the same woman- the Owl Lady- who had accompanied- her stomach churned just thinking about her name- the _human_ \- to the Covention. The woman who she had hid behind just before the duel, the witch who had managed to teach someone supposedly incapable of magic- someone born with no special ability or bile sack- the ability to do a spell.

_And Amity had let her student-_

She choked on a cry. Lilith’s hand dropped, the Owl Lady- Eva? Eda?- holding a staff aggressively towards the former Coven Leader. The Owl Palisman’s wings were unfurled, talons outstretched and prepared to fight. Lilith pulled Amity back, taking a step in front of her. Subtle things- Amity felt safer, and she despised it. 

Amity opened her mouth to speak, her words falling against the balled up piece of cloth shoved near the back of her throat. The pale girl coughed, pulling it out, and tossed it onto the ground. The Owl Lady did not look happy- golden flames flaked off of the edge of her staff, eyes wide with bright light as her eyebrows tilted with rage.

“Pardon me, but I only stated that I would be bringing the Blight girl to this tradeoff, _Eda the Owl Lady_. You cannot get mad at me when you assumed I meant something I did not. Your student is not living in my house, that I can assure you,” Varias growled, illustrating a grand spell circle sending an explosion of energy towards his opponent. Amity’s heart fell- he had never lied, though he played with his words. 

_Your student is not living in my house_. Your student is not living. Your student is not alive- _Luz is dead_.

“You killed her!” Amity started to scream. Her hands were shaking, panic settling under her skin as her breath quickened pace. The Owl Lady’s eyes widened as the woman’s gaze turned towards her. Before the pale girl knew it, her fingers were circling, Abominations fueled by anger rising from the ground. She could barely think- all she knew was _he killed Luz_ , fear and guilt trickled through Amity’s senses- overflowing.

Purple mud slithered over the grass, muddled limbs crashing down over the former coven leader. Lilith stepped to the aside, raven staff tightly held in her grasp. Had she just summoned that? Amity didn’t remember her having her staff moments prior.

The Owl Lady’s arms moved fluidly, a golden circle slicing through the air. With a push from her bony hand, it rushed through the air and wrapped itself around Varias’ body. The young Blight felt a catch in her chest, momentarily stumbling before falling to her knees. The Abominations surrounding the potions expert began to deflate, an empty pang resounding in her chest. It was unfamiliar- a new feeling, distant and cold. It didn’t feel like her heart was hammering against her ribs, or like she would choke on a cry- she only felt _empty_.

“Amity!” Two voices called out, mirroring sets of hands grasping her shoulders and hoisting her upwards. Green hair flower into her vision- _Edric and Emira_?

“You two! Get her to the Healer’s Infirmary!” Lilith’s worried tone suddenly filled her mind. _Why did Lilith sound worried?_ Amity was fine, Amity wasn’t touched- _Luz_ \- she choked on a sob. _Luz needed help. Luz needed to be alive_.

Amity had promised.

_____________________________________

Eda liked to think she was a rational woman. Sure, she was a criminal- and sure, she liked to pickpocket innocent passerbyers in her free time. But who didn't, it was just a hobby, nothing more. She had even taken a human kid under her wing- both literally and metaphorically. At first it was because of that _Summer Camp_ she had spoken about.

Being sent away for being too weird? Too unfit for society? Nobody deserved that. Weirdos have to stick together, and no kid would have to get sent off and have their hopes and dreams squashed for some so-called conformity that made the ‘model citizen’. 

But no matter how impossible her goals seemed, Luz managed to break through more than society’s norms. She had managed to cast a spell, she, a _human_ , capable of casting a spell. It was something so _impossible_ yet she threw any roadblocks out of the window the second she decided to stay. 

So hearing those three words, backup up by fury and rage, pain laced into the kid’s tone- _you killed her_.

Eda held him in her grasp, the psychopath was inches from facing an end he didn’t deserve- he deserved to _rot_ \- to suffer and wither away. A quick death was too kind- Luz was like her kid- and _nobody_ hurt one of her own.

“You have five seconds to tell me where her body is, or Titan help me, you will _regret_ it,” the Owl Lady seethed, tightening her grip around him. He let out a low chuckle, his smile wide and misplaced.

“Oh, _Eda the Owl Lady_ , I believe you’re too late! It’s been a few hours now, no? If she isn’t already gone, I’m certain there’s no time left for her to receive any help. My house is through the forest, I hope that the _residue_ isn’t too much of a mess for you,” he beamed in reply. Eda’s eyebrows tightened, her fist balling as her circle enclosed further. There was a low crack, the former coven Leader’s eyes glazing over and rolling into the back of his skull.

Eda hoped that it _hurt_.

Her staff was in her hand before she knew it. There was no time to find whatever squirrel or rat King had attempted to recruit into his army. Or something. Eda could barely think, palm slamming against the shaft and kicking off into the air. Her apprentice needed her, and there was no time to lollygag. 

The wind whipped through her hair, and time only managed to tick away like nothing- the edge of a small cottage poked through the foliage, her boots dropping into the dirt as she dashed into the house.

Eda wasted no time. A perk of the curse, if she could even call it a _perk_ \- was her heightened sense of smell. Lemon tainted by bitter iron reeked from a distant hallway.

She hated how she recognized the scent of blood.

Everything around her was moving by in a flash, she leapt down a staircase, twisting down a hallway and making a run towards the end. Eda barely spared an eye roll at the illusion charm casted over the corridor- _was there really a need for that?_ But she pushed the thought away, pushing through the darkness.

“Luz!” The name slipped from her tongue, the woman sliding to the ground and twisting the teenager onto her back. Blood soaked through a familiar cowl- one from the Hexside uniform. Was that why the Blight kid was wearing an incomplete uniform? The crimson liquid pooled beneath her, eyes wide yet glazed over as they stared off into the distance. 

Eda pressed two fingers against Luz’s wrist, impatiently waiting for the smallest of movements- a pulse, _anything_ to signify that she was alive.

_Thump_.

A beat against her fingers. Weak, and agonizingly slow, but still there. The Owl Lady’s eyes traced over the human’s chest, pink flesh exposed like mountains through red rivers, a gaping hole where a blade had sunk in.

But she was still alive, and she’d have to stay that way. Eda had promised her, those few weeks ago- the first day she had met her. _I won’t let them hurt you_.

She slid her arms beneath the girl’s limbs, wincing at how _light_ she was. She was an obnoxious kid, always doing some parallel arm thing and latching onto Eda’s arms, just hanging there for a few minutes until the Owl Lady would brush her off.

“ _¿Mamá?_ ” Luz’s voice was rough, the simple action eliciting a new trickle of blood from her lips. Eda’s heart fell- she needed to get to the Healing Coven’s Infirmary as soon as possible. “ _Mamá- no puedo… lo siento. Te amo, Mami_ ,”

Her eyelids fluttered shut.

“Kid, _no!_ ”

_____________________________________

Amity’s eyes snapped open, her breath catching in her throat as her gaze slid over the room she was in. Mirroring golden eyes gazed at her with worry- the twins, seated by her side. She was resting on a cot, bandages smothering her lower legs and palms while a small tube disappeared into her chest. 

“You overused your magic,” Emira whispered, resting a hand gently on top of Amity’s knee. The young witch’s gaze turned towards the side of the room- an empty cot soaking up sunlight.

“ _Where’s Luz?_ ” Amity could barely think, anxiety beginning to take hold over her heart. The two identical twins exchanged a glance, anxiety’s grip tightening. “I- no- she _has_ to be okay! I promised! I- I promised her I’d get us out of there and if I-“

“She’s alive, Mittens. She’s just…” the female twin trailed off, shooting a questioning glance towards her brother.

“Recovering. And not having a great reaction to some of the healing potions,” Edric finished.

“I- but-“ Amity struggled to piece together a coherent thought. Luz was okay. She was alive, she was safe. She would be fine- 

“But nothing, Mittens- you two are safe now. We… we don’t know what happened. But we’re here for you, no matter what, okay?” Emira forced a smile onto her face. Amity saw through it, but she chose to stay silent.

Everything would be fine. Because it had to be.


	4. stitches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oOOPOPOPOP SORRY FOR THE WAIT!! HERE'S THE FINAL CHAPTER, ILLUSTRATED BY @KINGPINCORVID! KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MAYBE SOME ONESHOTS ABT FUTURE SCENES THAT I COULDNT FIT IN HERE! ENJOY!!

Everything wasn’t fine. It had to be, but it wasn’t. Amity laid in her cot, back propped up against a set of white pillows while Edric and Emira sat by her side. The silence between the siblings droned on for hours, the youngest Blight’s thoughts cycling through the prior events.

Three days ago, she and Luz had been abducted from the Covention. The following morning, Edric and Emira had begun to search for her- eventually coming to Lilith in hopes Amity was there. That evening, Varias had delivered a ransom letter to her address, the result of…

The result of their little _chat_. The young witch didn’t want to think of it for what it really was- because everything was _fine_. Luz- oh, Titan- _Luz_. The human hadn’t been tortured for Amity’s failures, wasn’t fighting against help, wasn’t struggling to hold on- all because of her stupid _mistakes_ -

“Amity, _breathe_ ,” a gentle set of hands fell over her own. Amity blinked, eyes meeting with Emira’s- they weren’t stoic or sarcastic, genuine worry had slipped into gold, the faintest of tear streaks evident against her pale complexion. The girl sucked in a deep breath, wiping away her tears. _When had she started crying?_ “Mittens, look at me, and look at Edric. We’re here, we aren’t going to leave. You’re safe, you aren’t there anymore- he’s gone, he’s not going to hurt you,”

“He already _hurt_ her! He- he _tortured_ her and it’s my fault! I- I don’t deserve to be safe- I should have been in her place- it should have been _me_ -“ Amity choked, two sets of arms wrapping around her torso and interrupting her train of thought. She returned the embrace, face sinking into her sibling’s shoulder. “Luz is… Luz is like that because of _me_ ,”

“He tortured you?” Edric’s voice was soft, a firm hand gently rubbing small circles into Amity’s back. The girl stiffened, tightening her grip on the soft fabric of Emira’s tunic. 

“No. He…” she trailed off. The word sent her stomach churning- memories replaying in the back of her head. Bright crimson dripping from the tanned girl’s lips, pooling at her feet. The gleam of silver protruding from her chest as her arms fell limply by her side- eyes snapping wide before glossing over. “-he tortured _her_ and all I could do was _watch_ ,”

“Oh, Mittens,” Emira whispered, offering a tight squeeze. Amity returned the action, tears welling in her eyes and raining down her cheeks. “You two are safe, you aren’t there anymore. The human is going to be okay, she’s just one room away. We _promise_ that we’ll protect you- we’re your older siblings. We may tease and prod, but we will _always_ love you,”

“None of this is your fault, sis. You were still playing with cheap training wands when this guy was plotting one of the worst events in Boiling Isles history. His… he’s going to make you feel like you caused it, but you weren’t the one who kidnapped you two- and you didn’t want any of this to even happen,” 

“But I let it happen. I- I stayed quiet and… he hurt her,” Amity choked out. The twins closed in the embrace, the youngest Blight’s eyes sliding shut as she let out a shaky breath. “I need to see her- and I need to see that she’s okay for myself…”

“Are you sure that’s the best decision, Mittens? I mean… it may upset you. And they still need to ask you a few questions about what happened- so they know what to do to help,” Emira raised an eyebrow, easing her younger sister back against the pillows. 

“Is she awake?” a new voice called. The three looked up- a woman dressed in blue scrubs entered the room. Edric nodded, stepping away from the cot to allow the healer access. “Wonderful- Amity Blight, correct?”

“I.. yes. That’s me,” Amity nodded in confirmation, chills rolling over her spine as the woman pulled a stool closer to them- taking a seat and twirling her fingers. A scroll and quill appeared in her grip, and she began writing.

“My name is Ellemoris- I’m one of the members of the Healing Coven. A quick summary is you exhausted your magic- running your bile sack dry,” Ellemoris gestured towards the tube disappearing into Amity’s chest. “That is currently replenishing your magic bile, and additionally we’ve bandaged the cuts on your palms and lower shins,”

Amity hummed in acknowledgement, tilting her head to take a closer look at the bandages precariously strung around her hands. The smallest traces of crimson were visible if you looked close enough- yet it almost seemed like there hadn’t been much of an injury in the first place.

“Do you think you can answer a few questions about your friend’s condition? It could help us figure out the best way to treat her,” Ellemoris continued, pausing her writing to look intently at the pale girl situated on the cot. 

“Y- yeah. Definitely,” Amity nodded- the ache in her heart pulsating. Ellemoris read over the scroll in hand, looking up. A kind yet clearly forced smile made its way onto her face.

“First things first- what exactly happened to your friend? Take as much time as you need to answer- if you need the night to think, don’t hesitate to let me know,” she smiled, quill tapping against parchment impatiently.

“She… got hit by a sleeping spell first. It was supposed to hit me but she jumped in the way- that was how he got us,” Amity swallowed, exchanging a brief look with her sister before her eyes shifted down towards her lap. The only noise in the room was the scratching of the quill’s ink rolling over the scroll. Ellemoris looked up, eyes intent on continuing the story. “We woke up. I slipped up and listed the reasons I didn’t like her,”

The youngest Blight’s grip around Emira’s hand tightened as she bit her lip, fighting back the urge to release a sob. Not now, it wasn’t the time for her emotions to take control.

“He said he could fix her,” the teal haired girl whispered. Emira’s mouth dropped open slightly- the girl sharing a quick glance with her twin brother. “It was too late- he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He left and… she- Luz- she thought she was going to _die_ ,”

“What exactly did you tell him?” Ellemoris paused her writing, kind brown eyes wide with genuine concern for the two young girls. 

“I said she was annoying and impulsive- he… left and then came back with a bag full of different potions- I tried to stop him but he _wouldn’t listen_ \- I yelled at him- or tried to attack him- it’s all so blurry. He got mad. Really mad-“ Amity cut herself off, free hand clutching the white sheets draped over her. “He said he wasn’t going to spare any of it,”

“You don’t need to continue if you can’t-“ Ellemoris began softly, stopping as Amity shook her head in response.

“No, Luz needs help- I owe it to her,” the girl mumbled, leaning closer to Emira and sucking in a shaky breath. “He pinned her down, forced her to drink a potion- he wouldn’t let go until she swallowed,”

“Do you know what the potion did?” The healer asked kindly- the quill having stopped writing minutes ago. Amity nodded silently, glancing at the ground before tightening her grip on the white sheets.

“It was a paralysis potion- specifically Obstupefacio. It… she couldn’t move. Right after that he had a second potion- I couldn’t figure out what it was, but I think it did something with her cognition,” Amity explained as best as she could. “It was clear- Luz didn’t even… _couldn’t_ even fight back,”

“We have a few spells we can use to try and figure out what the second potion was, don’t worry, Amity. You’re not at fault for anything- all of this really is going to help her,” Ellemoris smiled warmly, quickly jotting down a few more notes onto the parchment in her lap. “Was there anything else that happened before the… condition she was found in?”

“I… yes. He- he tortured her- oh _Titan_ he tortured her-“ Amity’s face grew paler than usual, her amber eyes wide. Ellemoris’s hand paused, the healer mirroring the youngest Blight’s expression. Emira gently rubbed circles into her younger sister’s back, whispering encouragement and praise. “He wanted me to tell him about Lilith and when I didn’t… she didn’t even know- there was so much blood and she didn’t even _know_ \- nobody’s supposed to cough up that much blood- he wouldn’t give her the antidote until I agreed to tell him,”

Amity was crying, tears staining her pale complexion as she recounted the story. Ellemoris nodded, sharing a glance with the twins who returned the gesture. The healer stood, smiling kindly.

“Thank you so much, Amity. If you need anything just ask- and I believe your bile sac should be replenished by now, so feel free to visit your friend if you want to. We’ll do everything to help her, rest well,” she waved, slipping out of the room and leaving the siblings alone.

“Amity, we know you want to check on Luz but are you _sure_ that’s the best thing right now? You two have been through a lot and I don’t want you having a panic attack,” Emira asked softly, squeezing Amity’s hand gently. 

“I’m sure- I need to see her. I need to see that she’s _okay_ ,” Amity’s voice was firm. She brushed off her older sister, carefully removing the tube from her chest and shakily getting to her feet.

Edric rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and helping the young witch steady herself.

“Okay- but call us if you need help, okay?” Edric grunted, gesturing for Emira to open the door. The three Blights exited the room, the twins guiding Amity towards another room.

The door swung open, Amity shrugging off her brother and stepping into the room. The twins exchanged a quick look, shutting the door behind Amity and taking a seat in the hallway.

The pale witch’s heart dropped when she saw Luz. The girl wore her bloodstained tank top and leggings, a multitude of white bandages wrapped around her abdomen. Her eyes were ever so slightly open- brown eyes hollow and emotionless.

“Luz…?” Amity whispered, sitting down on the chair next to the cot. The tanned girl didn’t respond, only mumbling slightly. The witch’s eyes shifted towards the ground. “I’m sorry- you shouldn’t have had to go through all of that. I’m… glad you’re still here- you didn’t deserve any of that…”  
  
“ _No lloras… estoy bien. Pienso- pienso que estoy bien. Todo es bien_ ,” the human’s soft voice cut through the silence that followed. Amity’s head snapped up- she couldn’t understand- but Luz had spoken. She was still in there, even if the girl was distant and in pain.

“It’s all going to be okay, I promise. The healers are going to figure out how to get everything out of your system- everything’s going to be all healed up, I promise,” Amity forced a smile onto her face. Luz needed her to be supportive right now. “I promise this time, I won’t let anybody hurt you like that again,”

“If you’re trying to get her to say comprehensible nobody’s had any luck yet,” the tired voice of the Owl Lady floated in. Amity looked up, the woman seated in the corner of the room with a book on potions in her hands. “Trust me, I’ve tried. Seeing King didn’t spark any Luz-esque burst of excitement. I offered to teach her a new spell to no reply, and I even tried offering her a nest. Nothing worked,”

“But… there has to be something we can do- right?” Amity breathed out, fists clenched tightly at her sides. Eda sighed, closing the book and approaching the two younger girls. 

“I asked King to go get her dweebus friends. Maybe they’ll be able to spark something in the kid- trust me, I want her up and kicking just as much as you. I… never really had the greatest experience with my family. And then Luz came along and she reminded me so much of myself I couldn’t help but want to be the mother I never got to have,” Eda sighed, a nostalgic smile spreading onto her lips as she gently brushed her hand against the human girl’s face. “Being the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles has its perks. But… never have I really felt so powerless,”

“I… understand. I’m the top student at Hexside but nothing I did worked- he could break down my Abominations- counter all of my spells. I was supposed to be so _powerful_ but in reality I was so _weak_ ,” Amity murmured, dropping back to her seat and looking towards the girl in the cot. “I hope that Willow and Augustus can help. Luz doesn’t deserve this,”

“Yeah. The kid really made people change for the better… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she isn’t able to recover from this,” Eda hummed with melancholy. 

“Luz?” the soft spoken voice of none other than Willow Park reminded Amity that they had two more guests joining them. She and the Owl Lady turned towards the door, the plant witch- accompanied by the younger illusionist- stood in the doorway, concern creased into their faces. 

“Eda was hoping you’d be able to get through to her?” King’s voice was unnaturally quiet as he scampered into the room, crawling onto the cot and curling up against the human girl. She made no response- no protest or coos of adoration.

“What even happened?” Augustus remarked, face falling at the sight of his friend. Eda cocked an eyebrow, shooting a look towards King.

“You didn’t tell them?” the woman sounded exhausted- her attempt at a sarcastic tone failing miserably as the concern dripped into her voice. “I… well it’s a long story, dweebuses- but in short, Luz is out of it and nothing is getting through to her,”

“Oh- Luz…” Willow promptly rushed to the human’s side. Amity took a step back, awkwardly fiddling with her fingers. “Can you hear me? It’s Willow. I’m right here-“ the witch softly spoke, hand resting gently on Luz’s shoulder.

Luz didn’t stir.

“Luz? Can you uh… talk about your human magic rectangle? Or your books?” Gus attempted, joining Willow and looking over the tanned teenager with concern. “The Good Witch Azura, right? Do you want to talk about it?”

The Good Witch Azura. The barest of pinpricks broke through the shadows of her eyes, a small thud in Amity’s chest. Luz whimpered softly, blinking weakly and clutching the blankets draped over her.

“...zura?” She mumbled, eyes scanning around the room. Hollow brown landed on Amity, and the young witch tensed up in response. “-ts ‘zura… Azura saved me…” 

“Kid?” Eda was quick to rush towards her apprentice, tightly gripping her hand and pushing back her bangs. “Hey, kid- it’s me, Eda. Can you understand me?”

“Azura… _La Buena Bruja_ \- I- _lo siento_ , what… I feel so- _tengo miedo_ -“ Luz’s words trembled out- a mix of English and incomprehensibility. Amity was confused, but it had to be a sign that she was getting better- right? 

“Yes! Azura- she’s your favorite, right?” Amity couldn’t help but join the conversation. Sure she had… religiously read the books- but maybe that connection would be enough to pull Luz back into reality. Maybe. “Do you… remember the time she challenged Hecate to a Witch’s Duel at the Bog of Immediate Regret? Can you remind me what happened?”

“She… Azura _lo gano_... we didn’t win, did we? _Todo se duele… por favor, paras- no puedo_ -“ the human broke into sobs, tears streaking down her face. Amity panicked, pushing Willow and Gus aside and wrapping her arms around the crying girl.

“We’re safe. We’re here, you- he isn’t going to hurt you anymore, I promise- they’re going to help you, I’m so sorry, Luz,” Amity whispered reassuringly. The door swung open, Ellemoris emerging into the room.

“We figured out what the second potion was, if you step aside I’m going to put her under a sleeping spell while we administer the antidote so we don’t get a repeat of what happened last time. Especially with context… we don’t want to trigger fight or flight responses when she needs to recover,” the healer announced. The students filed to the side, a pale blue spell circle settling the tension in the human girl’s face.

Amity didn’t want to watch the vial be poured down Luz’s throat. She didn’t want to hear the tanned girl’s muffled screams followed by deafening and unwanted silence. It would all be too much, and Amity didn’t want the memories.

“You all should leave for now, I’d advise only her guardian to be here until she wakes up again,” Ellemoris sighed, walking towards the door and gesturing for the students to follow.

“What… was in the second potion?” Amity whispered as they exited the room. The healer paused, taking in a deep breath and resting a gentle hand on the youngest Blight’s shoulder.

“It was a hallucinogen, designed to make the consumer’s mind completely shut off aside from the bare needs. Your friend was… numb. She didn’t understand what was happening, she couldn’t think. In the long run, her body’s physical reactions and a scar will be all that she has… she won’t remember much, if anything,” Ellemoris’s eyes shifted towards the ground, her words pulling Amity’s thoughts in all directions. 

“She… she didn’t even scream… she- all of this and she won’t remember that she was…” Amity trailed off, eyes wide with realization. “What… physical reactions?”

“The other day when we were giving her medication to speed up the healing process for the wound, she began to convulse violently. We didn’t know why, but she kept fighting back and refused to swallow. I’d say it’s safe to assume that she’ll have a lot of difficulty with any liquids, and being held down,” the brunette let out a low breath, removing her hand and readjusting the papers in her hands. “I have a few other patients I need to check up on, you’re free to go if you’d like- but you’re also more than welcome to stay in the waiting room,”

“Thanks, I… think I’ll stay for a bit longer,” Amity nodded, watching as the older woman stepped back, walking down the hallway. 

“What happened, Amity?” Willow’s stern tone greeted the young witch as she turned to take a seat, noting that the twins had either left or moved somewhere else. Amity bit her tongue, anxiety pooling in her chest. “What happened to her- to Luz?”

“I- Willow…” Amity didn’t know how to answer. Luz had been a better friend to Willow in weeks than she had been in years. How could she even begin to explain how her actions had harmed the human? “We… she and I got taken. He… hurt her. I’m sorry- it… it was my fault. I couldn’t be a good friend to you, and I couldn’t even be a good person to her,”

“So someone kidnapped you two and hurt Luz,” Willow responded, her tone shifted from one of anger to one of distance and sadness. Gus looked up towards the taller girls, eyes wide. “Is… what- how did she get hurt? Are you… are you able to answer that much?”

“She couldn’t move. She couldn’t _feel_. He wanted information on Lilith and he’d hurt her if I didn’t answer or if I took too long. He… said he was going to take her life and he almost did,” Amity looked away. “I was too weak to be your friend. I was too weak to save Luz. I… I’m so sorry, Willow,”

“Stop. I don’t fully understand what happened or how it happened, but it seems like you went through a lot. We’re definitely not done with this conversation, but at the moment I think you need time to process everything, and I think Luz should be well enough to be able to participate in the conversation, too,” Willow sighed, turning her attention towards Gus. “And I think Luz won’t be able to give you anything about the Human Realm for a while,”

“I’m okay with that. I just hope that… she’ll be okay. She was the second person to see me as more than some little kid, and I don’t… this just isn’t her and I really hope that she feels better soon,” Gus nodded solemnly. Amity bit her lip, reaching to fidget with the edge of her black dress- when had she changed? Maybe Emira had brought some clothes from home for her. 

“I’m going to wait for a little longer, you two can leave if you want to,” the pale witch mumbled, head hung low as she brushed past her classmates, collapsing into the nearest seat in silence.

“I hate to intrude but as it’s getting late, I think that extra visitors should leave. Amity, as you were directly involved with what happened and we may need to ask a few more questions, you’re more than welcome to stay. Your siblings are in the main waiting room if you need them- and your friend’s guardian is allowed to stay the night as well,” Ellemoris emerged from the hallway, smiling sweetly towards Willow and Gus. The two shared a look- their faces falling in disappointment.

“Can we come back and see her tomorrow?” Gus asked, hand reaching to clutch Willow’s tightly. Amity looked away- a good friend. Willow was a good friend, Luz… Luz was a good friend. And Amity had failed so badly to the point the human could be stuck with reminders of something she didn’t even need to endure.

She tuned out the rest of the conversation, lost in the sea of anxieties and plaguing thoughts rolling through her mind. 

This was all her fault. Nothing was okay.

She wasn’t okay. And Amity didn’t know if she ever would be.

_____________________________________

It hurt. Why did it hurt? Luz’s eyelids felt heavy, difficult to open. Had she been drugged? Where was Amity? So many questions began to flood in- questions of where, why, and how. Her throat ached, a pulsating numbness emanating from her stomach.

Her senses yelled at her, encouraging her to scream. Luz didn’t know why, wasn’t sure- her mind ran blank. The last thing she could remember…

There was laughter.

But something was wrong. It didn’t feel like illuminated joy, jubilance and freedom. It felt too loose, a lull of false security, discomfort. Luz didn’t like it. 

She remembered… there was a sleep spell. She had been hit in an attempt to save Amity...

Amity-

Memories suddenly flashed by her eyes- waking up in a dark room with nothing but the pale witch of the Abominations track. Screams and cries- pleas to break free. Cold hands wrapped over her airways- and then nothing.

Something happened. Something _must_ have happened- because it hurt. Luz didn’t remember the pain, it was all blank- incomprensible strings of numbness. She couldn’t remember anything after those cold hands… it scared her.

As if a thick veil of clouds finally cleared from the sky, Luz was able to flutter her eyes open. White lights- a stark contrast to darkness- greeted her. Bandages tightly wrapped around her stomach, multitudes of IVs disappearing into her wrist.

What had happened? She- _dios_ she couldn’t remember. She was so _confused_ -

“H… hello?” Her voice was dry and gone. Had her screams been that strong? Or… thoughts and scenarios of horrible scenes protruded into her mind.

“Kid?” That was Eda’s voice. Luz struggled to sit up, the bandages tightly wrapped around her managing to constrict her movement. The tanned girl blinked, looking around the room for her mentor.

Eda was sitting by her side, a subtle warmth of King’s small body curled against her suddenly registering in her mind. The woman looked exhausted, dark bags hanging below her eyes- her pale skin somehow managing to appear paler than was even possible. 

“E… Eda-“ Luz rasped out, struggling to lift her arm and reach towards the older woman. She was quick to shorten the distance, grabbing onto her apprentice’s hand and squeezing reassuringly. Comfort washed over her, the young girl’s mind pausing for a bare moment before the desire to know what had happened took over. “Wh… what _happened_ \- it… hurts- _why_... does it hurt-?”

“Kid, it’s a long story but I think you need more rest before I fill you in. It’d probably be best to get you back to the Owl House before I fill you in on everything,” Eda sighed softly, her free hand reaching to push back Luz’s bangs. Pain twisted in her stomach- but she didn’t know _why_.

“Miss Eda… I- I don’t feel so good,” Luz struggled to choke out the sentence, the pain overwhelming, especially accompanied by anxiety. “Wh- where’s Amity- is she… is she okay?” 

“Oh, kid… I know it hurts but you’ll get better, I promise. The Blight kid? She’s outside. She visited you earlier after she got discharged. Everyone was really worried about you,” Eda hushed warmly, continuing to run gentle fingers through the human girl’s hair.

“Discharged…? Did… did she get hurt? Please- tell me… is- is she okay?” The tanned girl attempted to get up once again, wincing as another roll of pain shot through her nociceptors. “An- and what even _happened_ \- p… please I’m so scared and con- confused,” 

“She’s fine. She just exhausted herself and needed to get her bile sack artificially replenished, it happens all the time. As for what… happened to you. I want to be able to tell you in a more-“ Eda paused, golden eyes slanting as she looked around the room. “ _private_ place. But- that bandage is for a stab wound, so try not to aggravate it if you want to have that conversation anytime soon,”

“St- _stab_ wound?” Luz’s jaw dropped as her fingers reached to hover above the bandage. The closer she looked, the more she noticed the subtle bloodstains soaking through. “How- how long until we can go back to the Owl House? I… I need to know what happened- and… Am- Amity,”  
  
“Do you want to talk to her?” Eda raised an eyebrow. Luz’s eyes widened, shifting between the Owl Lady and the door. Luz hesitated- would Amity even want to see her? The last time she had… at least remembered seeing Amity- _a shiver ran down her spine_ \- she was mad. She had gone on a tangent about why she didn’t like Luz and…

Cold hands were enough of a reminder.

But on the other hand, Amity had still gotten herself into… whatever the Boiling Isles called hospitals. If she was still waiting here, maybe that meant she was genuinely concerned for Luz? The young Latina let out a low mumble, turning back towards Eda and tightening her grip on the woman’s hand.

“I… guess. I- I think so,” Luz replied. Eda’s hand slid away, leading the Latina to grasp her blankets instead as the Owl Lady stood, the clicking of her heels against the stone floor as she walked towards the door. Luz shakily inhaled, knuckles white from the sheer tightness of her grip. The door opened- words being exchanged that she could barely make out.

She was hurt. Amity was probably hurt. She… she didn’t _know_ what happened- to her or to anyone around her. Luz dragged in a deep breath, struggling to push away the intrusive thoughts. 

“Luz?” That was Amity’s voice. It wasn’t angry, it wasn’t accusatory it was the same tone she used the last time the two girls were alone. Or, at least the last time Luz was able to recall being alone with her. The Latina looked over the pale girl- noticing the bandages tightly wrapped around her palms and lower legs.

“You’re hurt,” Luz mumbled quietly, looking away from the wrappings and into the pale witch’s amber eyes. “You- you got hurt and it… it was because I had to play- I had to pretend to be some… some _hero_ ,”

“Stop. No- I let him… I led him on, and caused him to hurt you. I’m not hurt, the bandages are something I caused myself- nothing he did to me. He didn’t put a finger on me… you-“ Amity cut herself off, walking closer to the bed. Eda trailed behind, picking up a snoring King from Luz’s side and slipping into the hallway.

“I- what- _please_ \- nobody is telling me anything and I… I don’t even know what happened to _me_ ,” Luz broke off, stifling a sob as she moved to wrap her arms around her chest. “I don’t remember _anything_ past… past that point. I don’t know what happened to you or… or how we got here- or why everyone seems so _scared_ around me-“

“We thought you died,” Amity was quick to the point, hands snapping to cover her mouth as soon as the words slipped by her lips. 

“But- _how_. Amity… when did I get stabbed? Why is everyone treating me like I’m some fragile doll? _Tell me_ ,” the tanned girl pressed further, carefully swinging her legs over the side of the cot.

“Luz! Please, don’t stand- it could hurt you more,” Amity rushed closer to the human girl, easing her back into the mattress. “I just… I don’t know how to explain everything. You… he- I just… we’re kids, Luz. I still don’t…”

“Was it… was it that bad?” The anger in Luz’s tone melted away, replaced by melancholy. 

“I… Luz- how could you ever forgive someone who couldn’t save you from… from getting _tortured_ ,” Amity looked away as soon as her words died down, amber eyes flashing towards the ground in shame. “Who caused… all of this,”

“Well I- I mean I can’t _remember_ so I guess… that- that’s a start,” Luz weakly laughed, the witch turning back towards the human girl and narrowing her gaze.

“It’s… it’s not funny- I thought I had caused you to get _murdered_ \- he said… he said he would take your _life_ ,” tears slid down her cheeks, hand reaching for Luz’s. “I’m so… I’m so _sorry_ ,”

“Hey, Amity- it’s… it’s okay. I’m here and I’m confused, but okay. I… I don’t really know what exactly happened but… I can tell you’re sorry. I forgive you,” Luz offered a kind smile. “And besides, maybe… maybe we could put this behind us and start becoming friends? Nothing like…. getting locked in some stone room to make a fun bonding experience!”

“I… oh _Titan_ how are you so morbid-?” Amity spoke suddenly, eliciting a laugh from the tanned girl.

“You’ll just have to get to know me better,”

“I… I guess I do,”  



End file.
